Bound by Honor (1993)

This is How Movies Should Be Made

Very interesting film. Was caught on the premise when seeing the trailer but unsure as to what the outcome would be for the showing. As it turns out, it was a very good film.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

Great movie. Not sure what people expected but I found it highly entertaining.

The fact that this movie is so highly rated on IMDB is a reflection more on a general public ignorance of gang activities and of prison life. The fact that it provides a weak protagonist who could not successfully become a trusted and strong prison gang member should be obvious, but more important is the rather stupid stereotyping of not only prison life, but of the complexity of prison gang affiliations. Of course the movie goes stereotypically even further in demonizing prison officials, as either unnecessarily mean or corrupt (or both). Too much Hollywood and ridiculous drivel in terms of "real life" as to warrant a high rating -- in fact some of the scenes are so obviously contrived and stupidly staged as to relegate this movie to the lower echelons of modern crime and gang-themed films.

Oh dear...what a mess.This film is so incompetently written that it could be used masterclass in how not to write anything at all. For a start it is repetitive beyond all belief: same riffs on blood ties, brothers, mothers, fathers and cousins etc etc etc ad nauseam throughout. Tedious to a degree that is extraordinary that it passed the producers.Secondly, the script has two pitches: loud and violent. That also makes it very boring. It is obvious how things will be shown in these two modes. A violent film can work on other levels but the writers are so inept that it escaped them to give this a few more tones.Thirdly, the story lacks precision as if it lacked a good editor. Therefore it has adopted the familiar course of amateurs, and that is to add everything in the story without giving it a balance and counter balance. There is no editorial overview of how to shape material within a reasonable time period. It is also very very long ..."Anna Karenina" is long, but that was by Tolstoy and he has some claim to be one of the greatest writers of all time.Fourthly, the actors: oh well, and the report card is depressing. Basically two modes of action. The leads are all generally terrible, especially Mr Chapa, whose performance might be compared to a guard dog with distemper. Such monotony should not be viewed in a feature film.As with anything that that exemplifies all that is detritus in film making, there are so many other things to mention but space precludes a fuller list of its faults. The music for instance, with its deliberate sentimental Spanish guitar style in the few quiet moments showed all the artistic intelligence of a fast food restaurant franchise.Almost anything on earth is better than wasting the time that is this dreadful waste of one's own too short life.

This film really is a peer of The Godfather. It should be thought of in those terms. Both films track members of a family who are in mob-like organizations. "Blood In, Blood Out" tracks the fate of family members involved in gangs but some of whom try to go straight, while The Godfather is more concerned with the internal machinations of the criminal organization.That said, the films tracks several boys who during their youth are parts of illegal criminal families. I think this film is criminally underrated. Both the first and second Godfather films deserve their plaudits and the performances, direction, and script combined to make for compelling inter-generational dramas. However, this film is no different. It does not track such a lengthy period of time, but we see significant character development, multi-layered story lines, and large numbers of peripheral characters who also play important parts in the film.The acting in this film is brilliant from the three leads Benjamin Bratt, Jesse Borrego, and most notably, Damian Chapa. Chapa as Miclo is the light-skinned, blue-eyed Latino whose appearance has always driven him to prove how loyal a Latino he was and which leads him into a lot of trouble. Chapa's performance depicts Miclo as scared and unsure as a youngster, but as he grows older, he becomes more sure of himself and more committed to his lifestyle. Chapa delivers an intense, energetic performance which really should have led to more opportunities for him, had he wanted them. Jesse Borrego as Cruz is a talented artist whose life falls prey to drugs but who survives and doesn't forget his origins and values. Borrego make Cruz an imp with a twinkle in his eye which never goes out, no matter how far he falls and Borrego's performance also shows a great deal of depth. Bratt is Paco, perhaps the most troubled as a youngster, but whose life changes fortuitously before it can spin too far out of control. The three leads are cousins, and their courses in life converge and diverge in interesting and not unrealistic ways.There is great supporting work from actors like Delroy Lindo, Enrique Castillo, Carlos Carrasco, Victor Rivers, and many others. The script and screenplay are fantastic, chronicling about 13 or 14 years with great ease but without sacrificing complexity. The story is based on the experiences of artist Jimmy Santiago Baca and he helped to write the screenplay.For me, the relationships among the races in prison is the most fascinating part of the film. Race defines one's position in prison. The unity of the members of a race will determine how powerful that race is in prison. This is not a film for kids. The violence is not soft-pedaled. It is brutal and unapologetic. Director Taylor Hackford should be applauded for not shrinking from a not particularly feelgood story. He allows the film to breathe and allows the tragedy and triumph to play out. I have read some reviewers critique the length of this film and while I sympathize, I don't know which parts they would remove. I don't find that the film drags at all and the relationships within the family, within racial groups, and between racial groups, make this a film that will withstand repeated viewing.

Based on the real life experiences of poet Jimmy Santiago Baca, Bound By Honor covers two decades in the latter half of the 20th century as seen through the eyes of half brothers Benjamin Bratt and Jesse Borrego and their cousin Damian Chapa. Growing up more or less together, all three start out as gang bangers, but each has a different destiny and in many ways one's destiny is caused by the actions of the others.Borrego gets injured in a gang retaliation and works hard to not become a cripple. He does however become both a painter of note and a drug addict of considerable appetite. A tragedy there sets him and Bratt apart.Bratt also winds up in a feud with Chapa. When both were young gang bangers and looking to retaliate for Borrego, Bratt and Chapa are arrested. Because this was Bratt's first offense he got a choice of the military or jail time and he chose the Marines. Chapa however was sent to prison, to San Quentin to be precise where he joined the Chicano prison gang La Onda. Pretty soon Chapa is high in the gang councils and deep in the politics of the prison. Bratt in the meantime joins the LAPD and destiny makes these two collide.Bound By Honor has an epic quality almost a kind of Chicano Gone With The Wind. The mostly Hispanic cast do a great job in depicting life in the Barrio. The film runs just about three hours and it's a tribute to director Taylor Hackford that your interest doesn't flag for a minute.Hackford also creates many interesting supporting characters two numerous to mention, always the mark of a good film. But your interest is always in the three leads. You get to care about what is to become of them, what destiny has in store.There are certain similarities between Bound By Honor and the Edward James Olmos film, American Me. Personally I give a slight edge to this one, don't miss it if it is broadcast.