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The Splatter Ft. Archie

Hey readers! Welcome back to my second ever film column for Cazineque :) Since this is the zine’s Pride issue, how could I not write about a classic?

“Bound” is a staple of 90s queer cinema. It’s a crime thriller about two women, Corky and Violet, that fall in love and make a plan to steal money from Violet’s mafia boyfriend so they can run away together free from the confines the world has put them in. It’s intense, campy, fun, and even has erotic moments between the two leads. This was pretty revolutionary for the time, not only because lesbian characters were hardly shown in film, but also because this movie explicitly lets them have desires and a happy ending.

“Bound” was the 1996 directorial debut of the Wachowskis, best known for being the writers/directors of “The Matrix” - a movie that would follow this one as their next project together. Though the Watchowskis were not yet out as trans women while making this film, it’s pretty clear this movie was shot through the female gaze. They even hired queer sex educator Susie Bright as a consultant on the film, which marked an early example of an intimacy coordinator working on a Hollywood production.

It’s rare enough that women in film get to have sex scenes this sensual that actually focus on their pleasure, even today. The intimate scenes between Corky and Violet are never shot with the intention to exploit them, or objectify their bodies for men.

This is a movie that lets two women literally be gay and do crime, and not be punished for it by the end. “Bound”, to me, represents queer resilience and strength. It’s proof that we’ve always been here in the cinematic art form, even if we’ve been forced to hide. It’s proof that queer women and those of us that exist outside the gender binary, are capable of so much when we join forces and give in to our desires and live outside of male expectation and validation. It reminds me how powerful it is to be sapphic, and how I wouldn’t have it any other way. Happy Pride

Photo by Randy Tepper. © 1996 Republic Pictures. Used for promotional/critical purposes