Marquee Attraction: Blood In Blood Out
Release Date: April 30, 1993
Budget: $35 million
Domestic Box Office Gross: $4,496,583
Revenue Status: Box Office Bomb
Plot Synopsis
Miklo has returned home to his family, but for the half white/half Latino, he struggles to fit in with his relatives. He is viewed as white, and to have his cousins Cruz and Paco’s respect he must show his loyalty even when he should walk away.
It’s East Los Angeles and gangs are everywhere. Miklo joins his cousins Cruz and Paco in their gang in a turf war with a rival group. When Cruz is injured by a rival gang, Miklo is presented the opportunity to defend Paco and kills the leader of the rival gang.
Sent to San Quentin Prison for murder, Miklo finds that life behind bars is just as dangerous as his time in the streets. When he runs afoul of two rival gangs, he must work his way into La Onda. His white skin holds him back, but he proves his loyalty to Montana, the leader of La Onda and stays alive, and thrives behind the prison walls.
Time passes, and Paco has become a cop in LA. Cruz has somewhat recovered from his attack years ago and looks to continue his art. The brothers have not spoken in years, but the intersecting worlds of Miklo and La Onda, will impact Paco and Cruz. Three separate worlds will collide and result in life changing moments.
Paco will come to embrace his brother Cruz again. He will also see the depth of what Miklo is capable of in his position in La Onda.
Standing Ovation
The story is epic in grand and small-scale ways. Here is a cross section of life that we follow through the decades, and for the most part it presents the gangs, and people who inhabit this world as people. It’s easy to see how once you are in prison, it’s a place that will help you develop more criminal abilities, rather than reform.
Miklo, Cruz, and Paco are excellent co leads, and because of their range and the talents of the actors, it’s impossible for the audience to not get swept up into the story. Benjamin Bratt makes Paco a standout character, and every moment he is on screen, the audience will be riveted by his talent.
Delroy Lindo and Enrique Castillo make their prison gang leaders as compelling and as epic as any Shakespearean character.
The gang murder scenes are violent but not gruesome, instead they take on an operatic moment of story through the eyes of the murdered that is remarkable to watch.
Time for the Hook
There wasn’t enough Benjamin Bratt in the film. He’s there for a lot, but his Paco is the most incredible character because we see how he avoided the fate that Miklo ends up with. It would have been nice to have seen a few moments of Paco in basic training for the Marine Corps, and at the Police Academy.
Bit Part Player
The film has genuine talent front and center, but there are three supporting characters that stand out and are played by some now very famous people.
Ving Rhames shows up as a corrections investigator out to break up the gangs in prison.
Billy Bob Thornton is an Aryan Brotherhood prisoner named Lightning.
Danny Trejo plays Geronimo, a member of the La Onda council.
Three roles that could have been played by anyone, and forgotten, but stand out because of the quality of these actors.
Did You Know?
- The film earned 1/4 of its total box office gross on its opening weekend.
- Damian Chapa, Benjamin Bratt, and Jesse Borrego reportedly spent time with real gang members of East Los Angeles for months so that they could help develop their characters before shooting on the film began.
- The film was held up from being released in theatres for over two years after Disney got scared from the LA Riots, and the messages that were relayed in another film American Me.
- Due to Disney executive worries, the film was initially released as Bound by Honor, only after the film started to attract a following was it re-released with the original title.
- The Hispanic prison gang in this film is a template of the real-life gang the Mexican Mafia.
- The warden at San Quentin in the film was played by the real-life warden Daniel Vazquez, who was so impressed with the script he helped ensure the film was able to shoot at the notorious prison.
- Danny Trejo who plays Geronimo of the La Onda council insists that this is the film that he gets asked about the most by fans.
- Edward James Olmos was originally supposed to star and direct the film in 1988, but creative differences led to his exit.
- The movie was originally over five hours long, before editing came into play.
- Benjamin Bratt, the film, and Enrique Castillo won an Imagen Award for their work on the movie.
- Director Taylor Hackford won an award at the Tokyo International Film Festival for his work on the film.
- Tom Wilson, (Biff from Back to the Future) who plays Paco’s partner.
- Roger Ebert gave the film 2 stars out of 4.
Best Quotable Line
This one comes from Miklo, “When you expect nothing and get everything, that’s destiny.”
Bill’s Hot Take
Blood In Blood Out would be an award winning ten-episode prestige series on any streaming service now, and I would love to see that remake.
Casting Call
- Damian Chapa as Miklo
- Jesse Borrego as Cruz
- Benjamin Bratt as Paco
- Enrique Castillo as Montana
- Delroy Lindo as Bonafide
Production Team:
Directed by Taylor Hackford
Produced by Hollywood Pictures / Touchwood Pacific Partners 1 / Vato De Atole Productions
Written by Ross Thomas / Jimmy Santiago Baca / Jeremy Iacone
My Critical Response
{Snub-Skip this Film, Lifeboat Award-Desperate for Something to Watch, Commuter Comforter-A Perfect Film for Any Device, Jaw Dropper- You Must Watch This Film on a Big Screen, Critical Kudos– This Film is Cinema.}
Blood In Blood Out would most likely would never be released today in the theatres. This story is a perfect example of how the longer it gets, in series format, the more powerful the story becomes and leaves a stronger impact on the audience.
The film itself is beautiful, and though it might have missed making back it’s budget, Blood In Blood Out gets my Critical Kudos award. Disney produced this film at a time when it was trying to tell more adult focused stories. Blood In Blood Out is a film that should be embraced and shown, rather than collecting dust in the vault of Disney.
Coming Soon
Next week, a look back at the Liam Neeson/Sandra Bullock film Gun Shy.