Watch: Bound by Honor 1993 123movies, Full Movie Online – Based on the true life experiences of poet Jimmy Santiago Baca, the film focuses on step-brothers Paco and Cruz, and their bi-racial cousin Miklo. It opens in 1972, as the three are members of an East L.A. gang known as the “Vatos Locos”, and the story focuses on how a violent crime and the influence of narcotics alter their lives. Miklo is incarcerated and sent to San Quentin, where he makes a “home” for himself. Cruz becomes an exceptional artist, but a heroin addiction overcomes him with tragic results. Paco becomes a cop and an enemy to his “carnal”, Miklo..
Plot: Based on the true life experiences of poet Jimmy Santiago Baca, the film focuses on half-brothers Paco and Cruz, and their bi-racial cousin Miklo. It opens in 1972, as the three are members of an East L.A. gang known as the “Vatos Locos”, and the story focuses on how a violent crime and the influence of narcotics alter their lives. Miklo is incarcerated and sent to San Quentin, where he makes a “home” for himself. Cruz becomes an exceptional artist, but a heroin addiction overcomes him with tragic results. Paco becomes a cop and an enemy to his “carnal”, Miklo.
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7.9/10 Votes: 31,724 | |
62% | RottenTomatoes | |
47/100 | MetaCritic | |
N/A Votes: 989 Popularity: 60.355 | TMDB |
Surprisingly deep
At first glance one feels this is a TV movie, starting with a sunny day somewhere in east LA and a guy coming in and greeting anyone in Spanish, with colorful Mexicans all over. You may think, based on the movie title as well, that it will be one of those gang action movies where the hero beats up everybody. It certainly starts that way, but the movie is not like that.After a while, when the plot expands a little more, you find that the white dude that comes to greet his “Chicano” friends is a halfbreed American Mexican who hates his white father and considers himself “brown on the inside”. He is also on parole and only days until he gets to be 18 and be totally free. Then he makes a stupid move. Now you think it is going to be one of those prison movies, with the misguided youth and the corrupt system. Perhaps he is going to go to prison and beat up everybody. That ain’t it, either.
It takes maybe a little to see that the movie isn’t even close to being over so you look to the length of the film. It’s 3 hours long! The fact that it starts showing the year in which things happen gives the final clue: it is an epic story. The complexity of the characters hint at a book or something like that and, indeed, the story is written by poet Jimmy Santiago Baca, based on his personal experience. It’s almost a biopic.
And look at the cast! Damian Chapa is pretty known, but also Benjamin Bratt, Delroy Lindo, Victor Rivers (can’t have a movie about Mexicans without Rivers – I really think he should have gotten more main roles), Billy Bob Thornton, Ving Rhames, Danny Trejo and even Jimmy Santiago Baca himself as “Gato”, who I don’t really remember.
About the movie itself, its main strength is the characters. Each of the lead characters is being carefully sketched and then transformed by the story. The ending, most of all, explains the feelings and reality of the people involved. There were criticisms that the movie was overacted sometimes. Perhaps, but most of it was actually in character. Miklo is someone who is desperately, so desperately, trying to belong. Of course he overacts. His whole character is made up in his head.
So, as a conclusion to this too long review: this is not a masterpiece, but it is a movie about the truth of people in those times, and it is well done. Truthful films are more and more scarce as the time goes by. If you find the time and mood to watch this white Mexican biopic, I don’t think you will be disappointed.
An absolutely mind-blowing surprise
It is amazing how you can start with no real expectations at all, only to find yourself ending up with a real gem of a movie. That accurately sums up my experience when I first saw Bound by Honor/Blood In Blood Out.Behind the shy, inconspicuous exterior lies a powerful, almost real drama about the lives of three LA gang members who find their world changes as they grow up. Drug addiction, life in prison and ‘betrayal’ are the main subjects here and they don’t fail to demand attention. I must honestly admit that I have watched this movie in awe, until the closing credits were gone. It’s that good.
Most of the actors aren’t that famous (alright, you might recognize Benjamin Bratt for his role in Law & Order) and those who are have no real starring roles. In my opinion, this adds to the ‘real feel’ of the movie and is one of it’s strong points (the casting, that is). Even Damian Chapa isn’t bad in this movie (he usually is, think Street Fighter… Or U.S. Seals 2 :S) and I must praise him for his work. Both stars and supporting actors performed magnificently.
But in my opinion, the real credit should go to the writer and the director, who made such interesting and real topics in to an engaging, 3-hour long drama that manages to captivate it’s audience. A genuine masterpiece, I would strongly recommend this movie to anyone.
Original Language en
Runtime 3 hr (180 min), 3 hr 10 min (190 min) (director’s cut) (USA), 5 hr 30 min (330 min) (original cut)
Budget 35000000
Revenue 0
Status Released
Rated R
Genre Crime, Drama
Director Taylor Hackford
Writer Ross Thomas, Jimmy Santiago Baca, Jeremy Iacone
Actors Damian Chapa, Jesse Borrego, Benjamin Bratt
Country United States
Awards 2 nominations
Production Company N/A
Website N/A
Sound Mix Dolby
Aspect Ratio 1.66 : 1
Camera Arriflex 535
Laboratory Technicolor, Hollywood (CA), USA (prints)
Film Length 4,937 m (Sweden)
Negative Format 35 mm (Eastman)
Cinematographic Process Spherical
Printed Film Format 35 mm (Eastman)