Stars: Sean Penn, Robert Duvall, Maria Conchita Alonso, Courtney Gains

Director: Dennis Hopper

Summary: After the events of the previous decade in Los Angeles, this 1988 film about L.A. street gangs as seen through the eyes of the LAPD represented a serious effort to throw some light on the appalling carnage of that world in which, for example, 400 gangbangers were killed in 1987, the year the film was in production. It stars Robert Duvall as Mike Hodges and Sean Penn as Danny McGavin, veteran/rookie cop partners attached to CRASH, the LAPD's gang-supression unit. Hodges has been working South Central for years and has the gangbangers' respect for his low-key, quid pro quo demeanor. Despite his partner's admonitions, McGavin wants to play Rambo, bringing the hammer down on gang members at every opportunity. Ultimately the rage that drives the younger man destroys his relationship with his girlfriend, Louisa Gomez (Maria Conchita Alonso), and raises questions as to whether he should even be allowed to wear a badge. While considerable attention is paid to the complicated rubrics of gang culture, the gangbangers remain shadowy, nearly anonymous figures, especially compared to later portrayals. COLORS is a solid film, featuring superb performances by Penn and Duvall, excellent photography by Haskell Wexler, and a killer soundtrack.

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Directed by Dennis Hopper, Colorsis a superior 1988 action movie set among the street gangs of LA that teams up Robert Duvall as Hodges, the elder cop, with young hothead partner Danny McGavin (Sean Penn). Investigating a murderous feud between the “Bloods” and the “Crips”, Duvall attempts to impress upon the impetuous Penn the value of a more cautious, easy-going approach in dealing with gang members, rather than trying to charge in among them. The film as a whole was one of the first to take a serious, unromantic and unstereotypical look at gang culture, at how youngsters are sucked into it, how few options are actually open to these macho hoodlums and how little they have in the way of family, community and stability other than the gangs. The partnership between Penn and Duvall by contrast, though well played, is pretty much the standard old cop/young cop set-up, right down to Duvall's frequent, ominous remarks about how close he is to retirement. While the action is sometimes disjointed and the relationships between the gangs at times confused, it at least helps to dispel the usual Hollywood good vs. evil dynamic. Instead, there's a more ambient sense of violence, desperation, retribution and recrimination. Penn's doomed relationship with a “homegirl” indicates that while the LAPD may capture a few felons, they've little chance of capturing the hearts and minds of the criminalised poor. Later films such as John Singleton's Boyz 'n the Hood(1991) would go further in exploring how life looks from the gangsta perspective.

On the DVD:The films is presented in an anamorphic 16:9 widescreen version, with the usual chapter and language selections. The only other feature is the original, detailed but run-of-the-mill trailer. --David Stubbs

Aspect Ratio:	1.85 Wide Screen, 16:9 Anamorphic Wide Screen
Main Language:	English
Region:	Region 2
Special Features:	Original Theatrical Trailer, Interactive Menu Screens, Chapter Selections
Subtitles:	Danish, Dutch, English, French, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish
Year:	1988
Release Date:	July 9, 2001
Runtime:	127 minutes
Certification:
Catalogue Number:	15793 D V D
Keywords:	Action, General, Colors, Wide, Screen, Adventure
Genre:	Action/Adventure