Colors (film)
| Colors | |
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 Original film poster |
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| Directed by | Dennis Hopper |
| Produced by | Robert H. Solo Paul Lewis |
| Written by | Richard Di Lello Michael Schiffer |
| Starring | Sean Penn Robert Duvall María Conchita Alonso Grand L. Bush |
| Music by | Herbie Hancock |
| Cinematography | Haskell Wexler |
| Distributed by | Orion Pictures Corporation |
| Release date(s) | April 15, 1988 (USA) |
| Running time | 120 min. (original release) 127 min. (Director's Cut on Orion Home Video) |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English/Spanish |
| Box office | $46,616,067 (domestic) $21,196,856 (rentals) |
Colors is a 1988 police procedural crime film starring Sean Penn and Robert Duvall and directed by Dennis Hopper. The story takes place in South Central Los Angeles, and is about Bob Hodges (Duvall), an experienced LAPD CRASH Police Officer III, and his rookie partner, Danny McGavin (Penn) who try to mitigate the gang violence between several L.A. street gangs: the Bloods, the Crips, & White Fence. It relaunched Hopper as a director 18 years after Easy Rider and stirred some controversy over its depiction of gang life and gang violence.[1][2][3][4]
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[edit] Plot
Danny McGavin (Sean Penn) is an officer who has just transferred to LAPD's C.R.A.S.H. unit from patrol. Teamed with 19-year veteran Bob Hodges (Robert Duvall), he is a volatile adrenaline junkie, much to Hodges' chagrin. McGavin allows no challenge to his authority.
The older cop is diplomatic on the surface, preaching "rapport" to gang members to encourage them to offer help when it is truly needed, and recognizes that every action cops take is scrutinized by the people they are trying to help. These lessons are lost on McGavin, and his actions bring him quick notoriety that affects Hodges.
Amidst this, a murder of a Bloods gang member leads to a series of escalations between two other street gangs, a relentless intertwining of seemingly random incidents that culminates in a gang war that finds the two partners in the middle of the Crips, Bloods and Mexican gangs' attempts to right what they perceive as wrongs against their respective crews.
Near the end of the film, the police have one final stand against the gangs. Hodges is shot and mortally wounded in the process. McGavin goes up to him and cries as he dies.
Sometime later, McGavin has a new partner, a rookie black cop who grew up in the neighborhood where they patrol. McGavin tells him a story about a bull that Hodges told him at the beginning of the film. The film ends with McGavin and his new partner driving and continuing their patrol.
[edit] Production
The film was filmed entirely in Los Angeles in 1987. The original script by Richard Di Lello took place in Chicago and was more about drug dealing than gang members. Dennis Hopper ordered changes, so Michael Schiffer was hired and the setting was changed to Los Angeles and the focus of the story became more about the world of gang members.
Real gang members were hired as guardians as well as actors by producer Robert H. Solo. Two of them were shot during filming.
On April 2, 1987, Sean Penn was arrested for punching an extra on the set of this film who was taking photos of Penn without permission. Penn was sentenced to 33 days in jail for this assault.
[edit] Soundtrack
A soundtrack containing mainly hip-hop music was released on April 15, 1988 by Warner Bros. Records. It peaked at 31 on the Billboard 200 and was certified gold on July 12, 1988.
[edit] Cast Overview
- Sean Penn as Officer Danny "Pac Man" McGavin
- Robert Duvall as Officer Bob Hodges
- María Conchita Alonso as Louisa Gomez (romantic interest of McGavin and member of 21st Street gang)
- Randy Brooks as Ron Delaney
- Glenn Plummer as Clarence "High Top" Brown
- Trinidad Silva as Leo "Frog" Lopez, Leader of 21st Street gang
- Grand L. Bush as Larry "Looney Tunes" Sylvester, Second-In-Command of the 21st Street gang
- Don Cheadle as Rocket, Leader of the Crips
- Damon Wayans as T-Bone
- Leon Robinson as Killer Bee
- Romeo De Lan as Felipe (brother of Frog, who later becomes a 21st Street member as revenge against the Crips)
- Gerardo Mejía as Bird, 21st Street gang member
- Mario Lopez as 21st Street gang member
- Karla Montana as Locita, 21st Street gang member
- Sy Richardson as O.S.S. Sgt. Bailey
- Courtney Gains as Whitey, 21st Street gang member
- Sherman Augustus as Officer Porter
- Rudy Ramos as Melindez
- Lawrence Cook as Officer Young
- R. D. Call as Officer Rusty Baines
- Tony Todd as Vietnam Vet
- Clark Johnson as C.R.A.S.H. Officer Lee
[edit] References
- ^ Janet Maslin (April 15, 1988). "Colors (1988) Review/Film; Police vs. Street Gangs In Hopper's 'Colors'". New York Times. http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=940DE3DD1731F936A25757C0A96E948260. Retrieved 2011-09-18.
- ^ Roger Ebert (April 15, 1988). "Colors". Chicago Sun-Times. http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19880415/REVIEWS/804150301/1023. Retrieved 2011-09-18.
- ^ Desson Howe (April 15, 1988). "‘Colors’". Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/movies/videos/colorsrhowe_a0b158.htm. Retrieved 2011-09-18.
- ^ Hal Hinson (April 15, 1988). "'Colors'". Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/movies/videos/colorsrhinson_a0c902.htm. Retrieved 2011-09-18.
[edit] External links
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- 1988 films
- 1980s drama films
- American crime drama films
- American independent films
- English-language films
- Spanish-language films
- Fictional portrayals of the Los Angeles Police Department
- Films directed by Dennis Hopper
- Films set in Los Angeles, California
- Films shot in Los Angeles, California
- Orion Pictures films
- Buddy films
- Gang films
- Hood films
- Crips
- Bloods
