Colors (film)

Colors
Colors movie poster
Directed by	Dennis Hopper
Written by	Richard Di Lello Michael Schiffer
Produced by	Robert H. Solo Paul Lewis
Starring	Sean Penn Robert Duvall María Conchita Alonso Grand L. Bush
Cinematography	Haskell Wexler
Music by	Herbie Hancock
Distributed by	Orion Pictures Corporation
Release dates	April 15, 1988 August 4 August 17 August 26 September 9 September 29 November 24
Running time	120 min. 127 min. (Director's Cut on Orion Home Video)
Country	United States
Language	English/Spanish

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 an experienced LAPD cop, Bob Hodges (Duvall) and his rookie partner, Danny McGavin (Penn) who try to keep the gang violence between the Bloods and the Crips under control.

Plot introduction

Danny McGavin 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, he is a hotheaded adrenaline junkie, much to Hodges' chagrin. McGavin allows no challenge to authority, however slight, to go unpunished.

The older cop is laid back 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. The lessons are lost on McGavin, and his actions bring him quick notoriety that rubs off on Hodges.

Amidst this, a murder of a Blood 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. Meanwhile, after attempts of reason, friendship and finally intimidation fail to bring any change in McGavin, Hodges finally gives up and requests a partner transfer. Hodges is later killed by a gunshot wound, and McGavin gets a rookie black partner some time later.

McGavin finally learns that being a hardened enforcer has repercussions in the lives of everyone he contacts, and most of all himself, and that force without diplomacy only leads to ruin.

Original soundtrack

A soundtrack for the film, Colors - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, was released in 1988 on Warner Bros. Records.

Track listing

1. "Colors" - Ice T
2. "Six Gun" - Decadent Dub Team
3. "Let The Rhythm Run" - Salt-N-Pepa
4. "Raw" - Big Daddy Kane
5. "Paid In Full (Seven Minutes Of Madness Mix)" - Eric B. & Rakim
6. "Butcher Shop" - Kool G. Rap & DJ Polo
7. "Mad Mad World" - 7A3
8. "Go On Girl" - Roxanne Shante
9. "A Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Waste" - MC Shan
10. "Everywhere I Go (Colors)" - Rick James

The title track, "Colors", was ranked number 19 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of Hip Hop.

Cast

• Sean Penn as Officer Danny McGavin (nicknamed Pac Man)
• Robert Duvall as Officer Bob Hodges
• Glenn Plummer as Clarence 'High Top' Brown
• Grand L. Bush as Larry Sylvester (nicknamed Looney Tunes)
• Don Cheadle as Rocket
• Damon Wayans as T-Bone
• Leon Robinson as Killer Bee
• Romeo De Lan as Felipe (brother of Frog, who later becomes a 21st gang member to revenge against the Crip set)
• Maria Conchita Alonso as Louisa Gomez (romantic interest of McGavin/Pac Man and member of 21st Street Gang)
• Trinidad Silva as Leo 'Frog' Lopez
• Gerardo Mejia as Bird
• Mario Lopez as 21st Street Gang member
• Karla Montana as Locita
• Sy Richardson as O.S.S. Sgt. Bailey
• Courtney Gains as Whitey
• Allan Moore as Shooter
• Dennis Fanning as Gang Cop

External links

• Colors at IMDb