Bound Blu-ray

Bound

 (1996)

Crime | Film-Noir



Violet is the sexy mistress of Ceasar, a money launderer for the Mob. The comfortable Family lifestyle has become drudgery--until Violet meets Corky. Corky, a convicted thief out on parole, is hired as the maintenance person in the exclusive apartment complex where Violet and Ceasar reside. After forming a strong friendship with Corky, Violet wants out of the Mob lifestyle and sees Corky's theft expertise as her ticket to a fresh start. If Corky is willing to steal the two million dollars in cash stashed in the apartment that Ceasar must deliver to Marzzone the next day, together the women can escape the Mafia. However, when Ceasar discovers the money missing, he reacts differently than they anticipated... to say the least. Bound together against the wrath of Ceasar, Violet and Corky must rely on their instincts to survive.

For more details about Bound on Blu-ray, see the Bound Blu-ray Review

Bound Blu-ray, Video Quality

 


Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Bound arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of French distributors M6.

I still own the old Artisan DVD release of Bound (the censored one). I also own a Dutch import of this film. I have also seen the old French TF1 release, with the imposed French subtitles, which I believe is now out of print as well. With other words, I have a pretty good idea what type of treatment Bound received in North America and in Europe. So, I was very much looking forward to see what type of improvements the M6 release would offer.

First, the Blu-ray disc contains the uncut version of Bound. Second, the color-scheme is absolutely fantastic. The blacks are rich and well saturated, the blues gentle and elegant, the grays heavy but not boosted, and the whites clean and natural-looking. Furthermore, none of the macroblocking that used to plague the DVD releases that I've seen is here. Third, clarity and detail are very good. This being said, aside from a few heavy linings as well as some minor digital noise in the very beginning of the film, the rest of the transfer looks terrific. When blown through a digital projector, it also holds quite well. Finally, there are absolutely no scratches, specks, debris, or dirt that I detected. To sum it all up, Bound most definitely has never looked this good. (Note: This is a Region-Free disc. It plays on all standalone players and PS3s).

Bound Blu-ray, Audio Quality

 


There are two audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and French DTS 2.0. Obviously, I opted for the English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track.

Before I get to the technical analysis, I would like to mention that there are a few typos on this disc – on the back cover and the main menu, noting different aspect ratios, non-existing audio tracks, etc – which you shouldn't take seriously. With other words, the Blu-ray disc is done right.

The English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track is solid. The bass is rich and potent, the high-frequencies not overdone, and the surround channels intelligently used. The dialog is crisp, clear and very easy to follow. I did not detect any balance issues to report in this review either. On the contrary, Don Davis’ soundtrack blends well with the dialog. All in all, I am more than pleased with the English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. For the record, M6 have provided optional French subtitles for the main feature.

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