gavin6942 An experienced cop (Robert Duvall) and his rookie partner (Sean Penn) patrol the streets of East Los Angeles while trying to keep the gang violence under control.Looking back now (2017), this film seems so normal, something that could be included in a long list of L.A. gang movies, with the Crips and Bloods fighting it out for turf. We all know about "gangsta rap" and Compton and South Central and all of that. But then you look at the date this film was released -- 1988 -- and you see that all these things we take for granted had never been explored in any detail before. (Merriam-Webster, for example, does not even think the term "gangsta rap" was invented until 1989, even if Schoolly D and Ice-T were already around.)Although it is probably not true that "Colors" is the first film about gang violence in Los Angeles, it was probably the most influential at the time it came out. Allegedly, some reviews found it even hard to believe that gangs existed in L.A. -- that is just how novel the premise was. Director Dennis Hopper does an excellent job in laying out what these neighborhoods are like and really tackles the crack epidemic head on.The original script by Richard DiLello (best known as a Beatles historian) actually took place in Chicago (the traditional gang stronghold) and was more about drug dealing than individual gang members. Hopper ordered changes, so Michael Schiffer was hired and the setting was changed to Los Angeles with the focus of the story becoming more about the day-to-day world of gang members. This switch may be the single best decision Hopper made while developing and shooting the film.What makes the film valuable today, besides its historic aspect, is seeing just how great the casting was, too. Don Cheadle before he was widely known. Tony Todd before "Candyman". Damon Wayans before his entire family became big stars. Even a young Mario Lopez shows up. The idea of having a white kid (Courtney Gains) in a Latino gang seems strange, but as Gains himself says, that was written into the script and he just happened to be lucky enough to get the part.Thanks to Shout! Factory and their Shout Select label, we now have the full, uncut film on Blu-ray, looking great and sounding fantastic. The Herbie Hancock score is dynamite, to say the least. Special features are a little bit slim, unfortunately -- no commentary and not a single actor interview -- but we do have a look back at both the writing process and the gang situation in 1980s Los Angeles.
ironhorse_iv The film was the first directorial work by actor Dennis Hopper in 18 years. Like 1969's 'Easy Rider', this film was notable for its real life write the plot elements by screenwriters Michael Schiffer & Richard Di Lello. However, do to that standard of writing. It's somewhat slow in paced. There are tons of pointless boring filler, in this film. The violence action in this film is also very random, just as much as it's nudity. It really comes out of nowhere, and has little bearing to the main plot. While, most of the action scenes, are somewhat realistic in tone, however, there was at least, one scene at the beach front that really went over the top. It felt like, I was watching a different movie with its 'Lethal Weapon' style bike chase. Because of that, I couldn't say, this movie was a great film. It was too uneven. Still, the film was fine for the most part. Made in the era, before the 1992 South Central riots & many years before 2000 Rampart scandal destroy the CRASH (Community Resources Against Street Hoodlums) special operations unit of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD). The film tells the story of two CRASH cops, experienced season veteran, Officer Bob Hodges (Robert Duvall) and rookie partner, and hot-head, Officer Danny McGavin (Sean Penn) patrolling the streets of East Los Angeles, trying hard to keep the gang violence between the Bloods, the Crips, and the Hispanic street gangs under control. Without spoiling the American police procedural action crime film, too much, this movie was infamous for its highly dangerous production, as film producer Robert H. Solo hired real gang members as guardians as well as actors. Two of them were shot during filming of this film. If that wasn't enough, according to the filmmakers, shortly after the church shooting scene wrapped, a church service a short distance away actually was disrupted by gang gunfire. Things got worse for the production, as reportedly, Sean Penn was arrested on 2nd April 1987 and spent close to a month (33 days) in jail for assault after hitting an extra on the set of this film who was taking snapshots of Penn without his permission. It also didn't help that he was going through a nasty public divorce with singer/actor Madonna, where the newspapers stated allegations of domestic abuse. Despite what happen behind closed doors and his private life, Sean Penn did pretty well in this role. Although, it wasn't much of a stretch, since Penn was a total angry wild-man at this time. Robert Duvall is also alright, but his role wasn't as superb to me, as other critics saw it. I just seen it, as average at best. However, he does fully earns the hallowed term "actor's actor." Anyways, both of the main actors work well with each other, even if the whole 'bull and cows' (good cop/bad cop) gimmick seem to run them, as very unrealistic cops at the time. The supporting cast is just meh. Nothing much. It kinda sucks that they got Don Cheadle in this film, and barely used him. All, he does, is look menacing to the camera, and hardly speaks. He totally got wasted in his limited role as arch-gang leader, Rocket. I can also do, without Damon Wayans as Rocket's gang-member, T-Bone. All the comedy scenes with him, felt a little bit out of place like Courtney Gains's character, Whitey. If anybody, really shine in this film, it had to be Trinidad Silva as 21th Street gang leader, Leo 'Frog' Lopez. He was amazing as the informer. He really look like he belong in a real-life gang. It's too bad, that the actor died in 1988 in a car accident involving a collision with a drunken driver in Whittier, California, after filming this movie. I really hope for more from him. One thing that really made this film, very interesting is the odd mixer of gangsta rap music with that of classic 1960s country hits. It's weird, hearing Jaynett's 'Sally Go Around the Roses' & Willie Nelson 'Bloody Mary Morning' with the intense rap songs of Ice T's 'Colors' and Big Daddy Kane 'Raw'. It was so jarring to me. I guess, it's supposed to represented the large different between those, living in the white community and those living in the black projects of Los Angeles County in Color. However, the movie's music also shows the weird unionize of multiply ethnicities under the banner of those who choose to live, under the colors of law enforcement and those who choose to wear the colors of the street gangs. No matter what, the music for this film, kinda works for its plot; just as much as the location of LA, works for the soundtrack. You really do get the sense of gang-life and how it was like to be in the CRASH force. Nevertheless, I would love to see, how the original script that took place in Chicago and was more about drug dealing than gang members. It's just seems, more interesting. In addition to that, there is a version of the film that has an extended ending that is somewhat not checking out. Just don't watch that version, if you haven't saw the film, yet. Watch the theatrical cut. The new scenes are not that satisfying. Overall: If you love movies like 2012's 'End of Watch' or 2001's 'Training Day', you will probably love this movie. While, it's not the best cop movie out there. This somewhat excellent, powerful and gripping crime drama is still worth checking out.
oneguyrambling I'll make one concession to the America spelling of "Colors" because it is the film's title after all.I was amazed 20 years ago when Dennis Hopper made a cop drama set in the LA gang scene, I am amazed even now that it actually happened – and that aside from some minor quibbles it actually holds up very well. For those under say 30 in the 80s the "urban" (read non-white) areas in Los Angeles were beset by crime, both petty and more serious. Two rival gangs rose up and at their peaks had many thousand members each who despised any members of the rival gangs
all of them despised the cops even worse.A brief preamble shows that the gangs numbered greater than 70,000, the cops 250. Not good odds.The two gangs were called the Crips and the Bloods and were distinguishable by the "Colours" that they worse, Crips were blue, the Bloods were obviously Red. As Ice T says in the theme song "Wear the wrong colour and your life might end
" The gang members even had to be kept separate in prison or else they would kill each other there! In the midst of all this were simply not enough cops charged with maintaining the peace, keeping drugs off the streets and preventing the two gangs from killing each other. Drive by shootings were a constant threat and violent crime was rife.Colours mostly follows two cops. The experienced and soon to retire McGavin (Robert Duvall) and new gung-ho, hotheaded rookie Hodges (Sean Penn). McGavin knows the streets and the right people on both sides of the law, Hodges just wants results quickly, and thinks McGavin is past it and should get out of his way. In the early scenes this tense dynamic comes to a head on more than one occasion as they jostle for control. Each of the two have their own moments of success and failure, they bicker and fight at times, each thinking the other has a lot to learn.Colours is less about a series of defined events than it is a month or two in the life of a couple of cops, they perform the normal duties that I must assume were required in the era, patrols, raids, questioning suspects and generally striving to keep the peace when all around resent them – even those they are trying to protect. McGavin has a strong relationship, almost a friendship with certain known gang members who give him snippets of information, in return he seems to leave them alone to take care of themselves.Eventually though the partners find themselves on the wrong side of some particularly naughty gang bangers (who include Don Cheadle and Damon Wayans), and they are subsequently targeted. Again this is not so much built up as a major plot development but handled as a logical outcome to providing resistance to violent criminals.The same thing that makes Colours hard to describe is actually its strength, this is not a car-chase
shootout
manhunt
shootout
big explosion film with snappy one-liners and a huge bodycount, but a more realistic imagining of a period in time as seen by a couple of cops. By necessity it does contain elements as mentioned above but they never seem forced or simply there for entertainment value.Colours is reasonably low key, gritty at times and deliberately paced. It is by no means the definitive LA Gang's film (Boyz in the Hood) but it is an interesting couple of house with solid performances and a fairly believable plot. You could do a lot worse.And to think Dennis Hopper made it!!! Final Rating – 6 / 10. Nothing mind-blowing, but a solid urban cop drama that is never boring.
