Bound
Bound is a 1996 independent crime thriller directed by the Wachowskis. It is about Violet (Jennifer Tilly), a closeted lesbian prostitute and mob moll who longs to escape her relationship with mob money-launderer Caesar (Joe Pantoliano). When she meets ex-con Corky (Gina Gershon) hired to renovate the next-door apartment, the two women hatch a scheme to steal $2 million of Mafia money. Though the film was a strong freshman effort by the Wachowskis and a terrifically tense thriller, most people only remember it for the lesbian sex scene.
Tropes used in Bound include:
- Black Blood: Both played straight and inverted.
- Blood Is Squicker in Water
- Body Motifs: Hands
- Bound and Gagged: Given Lana Wachowski's S&M interests, this should come as little surprise.
- Bury Your Gays: Not just averted, by outright inverted, as Violet and Corky are just about the only major characters still alive at the end, and they get to drive off into the sunset with the money.
- Chewing the Scenery: Well, more like punching the scenery, but Ceaser gets rather...demented towards the middle, especially when he's searching Johnny's apartment.
- Cool Old Guy: Micky. Cruelly efficient towards Shelly, compassionate towards Violet, and the one guy who scared Caesar shitless even after the latter killed Gino.
- Even the Girls Want Her: Of the named characters in the film, only Gino doesn't, at some point, express an interest in Violet.
- Executive Meddling: Some studio executives wanted Corky to be a man. Fortunately, the Wachowskis declined, saying that that movie had been made dozens of times.
- Femme Fatale: Violet
- Film Noir
- Fingore
- Intertwined Fingers
- Lady in Red: Violet
- The Mafia
- Not So Different: A major theme. In fact it's spelled out in the last line in the movie.
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Corky: You know what the difference is between you and me, Violet? |
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- Plethora of Mistakes: On both sides of the scam.
- Politically-Incorrect Villain: Caeser refers to Corky as a dyke and comments that 'her kind can't be trusted.'
- Scenery Porn
- Shown Their Work: The Wachowskis had Susie Bright advise them on lesbian sex and culture.
- Smoking Is Cool: The film has a strong noir feel to it, including the so-cool-it-hurts smoking.
- Tattooed Crook: Corky sports a labrys, a symbol of lesbianism and feminine strength.
- Tomboy and Girly Girl: A classic Lipstick Lesbian and Butch Lesbian pairing.
- Xanatos Speed Chess: Caesar is madly scrambling to outwit his perceived enemy while Violet and Corky madly scramble to steer him in the right direction. Caeser turns out to be much smarter than they'd anticipated, but not smart enough.
- White Shirt of Death: While standing in a room-wide puddle of pure white paint, to boot.
- Who's Laughing Now?: Caesar both plays the trope straight and says the tag line almost verbatim. He also gets... rather animated while doing so.
- Yuri Genre