'Bound': Structure and Other Elements

INCITING INCIDENT

In the Wachowski Brothers’ 1996 noir thriller Bound, the inciting incident would be Caeser and Violet’s arrival at the apartment complex which becomes the main setting, or dramatic arena, for the rest of the film.

1ST MAJOR PLOT POINT

The first major plot point arrives when Violet and her new lesbian lover Corky enact a plan to steal the considerable sum of money from Caesar. This action greatly raises the stakes for Violet and Corky, the protagonists, and establishes the major dramatic conflict and suspense in the second act of the film.

2ND MAJOR PLOT POINT

The second major plot point in the film takes place when Caesar is finally killed by his traitorous but ultimately well-meaning female cohort Violet. This plot point allows the film to resolve as the teaming protagonists Violet and Corky manage to escape with the acquired sum of money.

OBLIGATORY SCENE

The obligatory scene in Bound is Caesar’s death because he is introduced as a rude and careless criminal whose primary aims are greed and ambition. When the two female protagonists plot to kill him and steal his money, the viewer can expect the conflict to reach a dramatic culmination between these two opposed forces. The film does so in an impressively well-shot sequence in which Caeser is finally killed.

LABYRINTH

The labyrinth structure of the film is determined by the proximity of Corky and Violet’s apartment rooms. Since the geographical movement in the film is very sparse and the setting remains the same throughout the whole of the film, the labyrinthine quality of the film’s structure is best suggested by the minotaur-like maneuvers of Caesar as he discovers the connection between Corky and Violet and attempts, initially successfully, to stop them from escaping or even moving.

COSMIC CONNECTIONS

In Bound, there are numerous cosmic connections or metaphors which lend the film greater depth through individual interpretation of the visuals and the characters’ allusions:

• The chessboard-like pattern of the floor within the apartment complex suggests the intensely strategic quality of the protagonists’ ultimate solution to topple the villain and escape.

• Corky’s tatoos and dress characterize her as a more masculine figure compared to Violet’s dress-wearing and high, raspy voice which make her out to be much more feminine.

• When the protagonists steal Caesar’s loot, they store it in Corky’s paint containers. The content filling where the bags of money are submerged is white paint, suggesting that a pure-looking substance is obscuring an inner quality of greedy wealth.

GENERIC THEMES

The generic themes found within Bound are that crime pays and love conquers all. The first theme is exemplified by the essential criminality of Corky and Violet’s plans and ultimate success in their plotting. The last theme is enforced by the passionate, caring relationship between the two lesbian protagonists who, through their trust in each other and mutual determination, plan and enact an escape from the authority and lovelessness of Violet’s criminal partner.