Shot by shot analysis of Bound

Movie: Bound

Director: WachowskiBrothers

Director of Photography: Bill Pope

Plot summary: Basically ex con Corky and mobster’s mistress Violet begin an affair. The mistress comes up with a plan to get out of the mob life by taking 2 million dollars from them. Violet and Corky plot to frame Violet’s lover Caesar for the deed so they can make a clean break.

(The scene I’m analyzing is the beginningof their affair. It isn’t very exciting but I like it)

Shot 1: The shotiskind of dark. The movie as a whole uses a lot of shadow but this scene is even darker. The darkness doesn’t exactly swallow Corky up, but it does make her seem small in a way. Which is good because she’s in Violet’s apartment and she’s uneasy because she’s not sure what’s going on. She’s alsoframed tothe right because Violet is to her left. She has that look room.

Shot 2: Violet enters the frame and now we’re in the over the shoulder shot. You have a bit of dept of field going on. She and Corky take up the whole frame for the most part but only Corky is in critical focus. I think the director wants the audience to feel Corky’s emotions. Feel her anxiousness to seewhat is going to happen.

Shot 3: This shot is interesting for numerous reasons. First of all Corky is really underexposed now that the shot is framed for Violet. It’s almost an over the shoulder shot but it’s off to the side almost a medium close-up of them both. There is a soft light on Violet and the camera is tilted up so it’s like Violet is looking down on Corky. It could be a way to let the audien

ce know that

Violet is in control of the situation.

Shot 4: Now we’re back on Corky. This is a standard over the shoulder shot. Corky is no longer underexposed; she has a soft light on her as she talks to Violet. She still isn’t fully lit like Violet.

Shot 5: Back to the shot that could be over the shoulder but could also be a medium close up. It’s kind of likein Grammar of theshot they say you should move over 30 degrees on the 180 degree line for each shot. Anyway we’re back in a shot similar to the one in shot 3. This builds the tension I think. Then you have Violet leaning over to ouch Corky’s tattoo.

Shot 6: This is a really tight shot. This also has a lot of shadow on it. Corky’s arm is softly lit while Violet’s hand is a bit underexposed. It’s a beautiful contrast and I think it adds to the moment. Makes it a bit more sensual. Where the contrast between soft light and dark was at first used to create an uneasy vibe, it is now used to make the seen a bit sexy.

Shot 7: We go into a wider shot of Violet tracing the arm of Corky. The lighting is pretty much the same. The DP is keeping it consistent. Idon’t think they want to jar the audience out of the moment.

Shot 8: Once again they’re staying consistent with the framing and composition as they cut from character to character. It’s almost an over the shoulder shot but it’s off to the side almost a medium close-up of them both. There is a soft light on Violet and the camera is tilted up so it’s like Violet is looking down on Corky.

Shot 9: This shot is just like shot four but I just noticed that unless you strain your eyes, you can’t seen anything behind Corky. That’s how dark the background is. The director and DP don’t want the audience to see anything but Corky and Violet.

Shot 10: There is soft light on both women this time. The camera is angled down on Corky but not at the height of Violet. Even though the woman has stood, she just goes out of frame, the camera didn’t move with her. It stayed in the exact same spot. Since the camera does not immediately follow Violet, the audience is left to wonder what exactly the woman is about to do. Kind of builds anticipation.

Shot 11: We’re now at a medium shot. Violet’s head is still out of frame. There is a lot more light all of a sudden. Violet moving kind of breaks the spell by standing up and moving. It’s a small break from the intensity and it’s also the point where Corky is no longer as uneasy, which could be why the light is balanced a bit more. The shadows aren’t as pronounced right now.

Shot 12: As Amy Winehouse would say, now we’re back to black. Shadows have returned. Corky is once again underexposed while a soft light is put on Violet in this over the shoulder shot.

Shot 13: They play with light a lot apparently. The light is soft and sexy but this is only the 2^nd or 3^rd time the light is almost a fluorescent color. It’s usually like a bronze red, almost like a small fire is going in the background. A glow if you will. The light on Corky in this shot is the type of light that would come through a window in the middle of the day.