Colors (film)

Colors movie poster

Colors is a 1988 film starring Sean Penn and Robert Duvall and directed by Dennis Hopper. The story takes place in South Central Los Angeles in 1987, and is about an experienced 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.

McGavin is a hotheaded crusader, much to the chagrin of Hodges, who believes in building rapport with the gang members so they will offer help when it is truly needed. The lessons are lost on McGavin, and his actions villify the duo to gang members on both sides. Admist this, a murder of a Bloods gang member leads to a series of escalations between the two gangs, culminating in a gang war. Meanwhile, after attempts of reason, friendship and finally intimidation, Hodges finally gives up trying to change McGavin's dangerous attitude and requests a partner transfer. McGavin finally learns that being a hardened enforcer has reprocussions in everybody's life and that force without diplomacy only leads to ruin.

Trivia

The film's release in the spring of 1988 co-incided with the rash of gang violence in the south west United States that was just starting to become a national media story at the time. Some reported incidents of violence took place at theaters where Colors was playing (similar rumors were circulated about The Warriors, another street gang film), prompting big name theaters to drop the film.

The film's theme song of the same title was performed by Ice T.

In 1987, during the film's production, Sean Penn was arrested for punching a photographer who was taking pictures of him without permission. He served a month in jail for this assault.

A mural of Jesus Christ on a wall in one scene can also be seen in a scene from Falling Down, a 1993 film in which Duvall appears as an experienced police officer.

Cast

• Robert Duvall as Officer Bob Hodges
• Sean Penn as Officer Danny McGavin (nicknamed Pac Man)
• Glenn Plummer as High Top
• Don Cheadle as Rocket
• Damon Wayans as T-Bone
• Leon Robinson as Killer Bee
• Maria Conchita Alonso as Louisa Gomez (romantic interest of McGavin/Pac Man and member of 21st Street Gang)
• Grand L. Bush as Larry Sylvester (21st Street Gang member)
• Trinidad Silva as Leo López
• Gerardo Mejia as Bird
• Mario Lopez as 21st Street Gang member
• Karla Montana as Locita

External link

• Colors at the Internet Movie Database

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