Generally, noir films would mostly be about the male characters, like Humphrey Bogart in The Maltese Falcon or even Tim Burton's Batman films in which the male protagonist is the strongest and most controlling character in the picture, surrounded by beautiful women and colorful villains. What makes Bound special is the ability to embrace its female characters as protagonists who not only have feminine attributes, but also masculine qualities.
Before The Matrix, the Wachowskis' first film, Bound, hit theaters 25 years ago and was a terrific display of a neo-noir picture that contained an absorbing lesbian relationship, as well as a gangster husband who's completely obsessed with control over money and his wife. This film also influenced the first Matrix film in terms of characters who live in a dark city and atmosphere with stylish clothes and fancy cars.
Jennifer Tilly and Gina Gershon, as Violet and Corky respectively, portray two strong women who grow to love each other through attraction and vulnerability. They are tough but are trapped in a world where men hold all the cards. Violet is married to Ceasar (played with manic energy by Joe Pantoliano), a gangster who is very demanding towards Violet, and always relies on her to make him look good in front of his mob associates.
Violet and Corky first meet when Corky begins work as a painter and plumber in Violet and Ceasar's apartment building. Violet purposefully loses one of her earrings in her kitchen sink in order to get the attention of Corky, who successfully retrieves the earring. Both women are instantly seduced by each other because they feel the need to love and be loved again in their lives. Violet doesn't love Ceasar and is trapped in her marriage to him, while Corky, an ex-con who just got released from prison, has felt lonely, and is intrigued by Violet's illuminating and attractive personality.
As Ceasar, Pantoliano definitely holds his own as a violent man who fears for his life, especially after killing mob boss Gino (and his son Johnnie), whose money has vanished. However, it was in fact Violet who hatched up a plan to have Corky steal that money from Ceasar so that both women can run away together and reset their lives. Of course, plans go South after Ceasar killed his mob associates, thinking that Johnnie stole Gino's money and hid it somewhere to frame Ceasar and use it to run away with Violet. That is until Ceasar learns about his wife's mischievous plan with Corky.
The film effectively becomes claustrophobic in the second half because most of it takes place in Violet and Ceasar's apartment, and inside the building, as Violet and Corky try to outsmart Ceasar. All the protagonists also have to deceive the police and other mobsters looking for Gino, Johnnie, and the money. Amidst all the drama and tension, there are some subtle moments of comedy, especially when Ceasar gets upset or argues with other characters, and when he has to clean, iron, and hang up a lot of blood-soaked cash worth millions.
The chemistry between Violet and Corky is warm and sensual because both women comfort each other through love, and by discussing the ordeals they've been through in their lives. They also poke fun at each other's lifestyles because their journeys are very different. Violet lives a life of privilege with Ceasar, while Corky is a small-time criminal with a record. However, both women intend to live their own lives together.
The themes of independence and freedom, as well as female empowerment, likely inspired The Matrix franchise because the sci-fi series focuses on people who want to escape from a reality that looks believably vibrant, but is in fact dark and manipulative. In Bound, the female protagonists also want to run away from a city that may appear luxurious but is also filled with greed, violence, and corruption. For Corky, she doesn't want to be a criminal anymore, while Violet refuses to spend the rest of her life married to one. Stealing the money from Ceasar is considered their one last job or heist to buy their freedom.
Pantoliano would also go on to star in the first Matrix film, and it's not hard to see why. The actor is skilled in portraying male characters who want to believe that they have everything under control and that choices in life are simple, when in fact their true morals are bleak, cynical, and selfish. In Bound, Ceasar says he loves Violet but treats his wife more like valuable property for his own benefit.
In The Matrix, Pantoliano's Cypher appears to be a cool guy working with Morpheus and the resistance. However, he's really a back-stabbing liar who betrays his crew, convincing himself that the Matrix is actually a better world compared to their rugged reality, signifying that he'd rather be privileged than humble.
Bound also resembles The Matrix series in terms of fashion and style, paying homage to film noirs of the 1930s while also displaying modernity, especially in the way female characterizations and appearances are more explicit. Both features contain characters wearing leather clothes and fancy suits. Similar to Trinity, Corky wears a tank top, and Violet wears dresses as elegant as Persephone (the wife married to her unfaithful husband, The Merovingian) from The Matrix Reloaded.
The Wachowskis may best be known for sci-fi with The Matrix franchise. However, Bound, and its stance on feminism and female power, as well as a dark tale involving greed and murder, is proof that the talented filmmakers could do more film noir thrillers in the future.