Cast: Damian Chapa, Jesse Borrego, Benjamin Castillo, Victor Rivers
Director: Taylor Hackford
Producers: Taylor Hackford and Jerry Gershwin
Screenplay: Jimmy Santiago Baca, Jeremy Iacone, and Floyd Mutrux
Cinematography: Gabriel Beristain
Music: Bill Conti
U.S. Distributor: Hollywood Pictures
Miklo (Damian Chapa), Paco (Benjamin Castillo), and Cruz (Jesse Borrego) are three Latino friends living in the midst of a 1972 East Los Angeles torn apart by gang violence. When this violence strikes close to home, its irrevocable effects ripple through the destinies of each of the three men. Cruz, an artist, suffers a crippling injury, and the pain from this leads him into drug addiction. Paco, after being arrested as an accessory to murder, is forced to enter the military to avoid jail. This eventually leads to a place in the LAPD. Miklo, the shooter in the killing, is sent to jail where he slowly-but-surely insinuates himself into the ranks of La Onda, the San Quentin Latino gang.
This film was originally called and advertised as Blood In, Blood Out. Whether or not the last-minute name change will lead to any confusion is unclear, but apparently the marketing people didn't like the original title. Given the events of the film, however, Blood In, Blood Out is a better, if less noble-sounding, choice.
The film isn't exactly original, but there are enough wrinkles that, coupled with strong character definition, lead to a sporadically engrossing product. Actually, there are three separate stories that occasionally cross and intermingle. After the first thirty minutes, however, each can stand on its own. The one involving Cruz -- concentrating on drug addiction and its consequences -- is heavy-handed. Bound by Honor probably would have been better focused without it. Paco's tale is scripted with greater intelligence than Cruz's, but is still spotty. Events surrounding Miklo, which are accorded the most screen time, offer the movie's most absorbing moments.
The chronicle of Miklo's rise to power within the prison gang system is reminiscent of Edward James Olmos' powerful 1992 film American Me. There are parallels in both plot and character, but Bound by Honor's prison story isn't as complex or gritty as that of American Me, and its resolution is less satisfactory. Nevertheless, it still has an impact. There's a strange fascination in watching the violent politics that lead to the top rung of a prison clique.
Unfortunately, the ending is a disappointment. The foolish last scene is an ill-conceived attempt to force a happy ending where one is not warranted. Of all the slip-ups and gaffes in Bound by Honor, this one is unforgivable.
It has been said that this is the Latino Godfather. While there are many laudable elements in Bound by Honor, it lacks both the quality and scope of Francis Ford Coppola's saga. Some of the themes may be similiar, but the level of film making is not. This is a loosely-focused story about loyalty, honor, and family that takes us into Los Angeles' Latino subculture and introduces to three vastly different characters. The result is a passable motion picture that features several memorable scenes. It's not a masterpiece, but neither is it a waste of time.
© 1993 James Berardinelli