'Blood In Blood Out', or 'Bound by Honor' as it is sometimes known, this is a solid film whatever the title, tracking the experiences of two Latino brothers and their cousin, each of whom go in diverse directions after a run-in with the police estranges them from each other. The film is very slow to warm up, only really taking off once the trio are arrested, but from then on there is a nary a dull moment to be had as the arrest influences one brother to become a policeman, the other to become an artist and the cousin to embrace jailbird life. Despite making very different life choices, fate eventually brings the paths of the trio together with each having to contend with having the same blood despite being on opposite sides of law and conventional living. If there is one thing to hold against the film, it is that it spends more than twice as much time on the cousin in jail as it does on the two brothers, but then again, his experiences in prison deliver all the highlights of the film. From attempted rapes to hidden messages to prison riots, the film depicts the jail experience of the 1970s in incredible depth with warring racial factions and unwritten codes of conduct that all abide by. The film is also blessed by one of Bill Conti's tersest music scores to date, a terrific supporting turn from Delroy Lindo and some remarkable artwork, including a full scale wall mural. Clocking in at close to three hours, this is not the lightest or breeziest film to get through, however, the ample length allows one to get under the characters' skins in a way that a shorter film could not have done half as well.
Review of Bound by Honor
