Colors (1988)

In 1988, not that much was widely known about the escalating gang situation in Los Angeles. This was the time of the Showtime Lakers, Planet Hollywood, and Box Office Hits. No one wanted to hear that there was a war going on south of the 10 freeway that had, at that point, claimed thousands of lives. Perhaps it was because the victims in this war were almost exclusively young black and latino males. That is a wider topic that, fortunately,  as we sit in 2025, there have been many documentaries, films and books made about - 2005 documentary 'Bastards of the Party' probably being the most seminal - and these works have shone a light on LA gang culture in such a way that, bizarrely, the pendulum seems to have swung completely the other way. Meaning we now live in a world where Serena Williams can freely crip-walk at the Superbowl. However, there is a brutal core to this culture and, make no mistake, when this film came out showing that, it shocked a lot of individuals. 

Directed by, of all people, Dennis Hopper (his first effort since 'Easy Rider' in 1969), the film centres around two police officers assigned to the C.R.A.S.H. unit (Community Resources Against Street Hoodlums), a department specifically designed to seek and destroy gang activity in South and East Los Angeles. Robert Duvall plays Hodges, a grizzled veteran who has seen it all in the streets and, as a result, has the respect of most gang members he comes across. He is given a new partner, Danny McGavin aka Pac Man, played by Sean Penn. His style is more in line of what the LAPD came to be known as, which was effectively a militarized unit with carte blanche to batter and imprison just about anyone as they saw fit. Therein lies the conflict throughout the film. Which one has the right approach? Who's to say? 

Together they attempt to police the wide-scale drug-dealing and violence they encounter every day. It is no easy task and both men get pushed to their limit dealing with the lowest wrung of society. This unflinching look at the LA Gang scene was, as I say, really the first time Hollywood dared to show this side of the city and, although it was certainly shocking at the time, probably downplays somewhat just how horrendous the situation had become (and continues to be this very day). For example, there is a scene where a blood is killed in a drive-by and at his funeral, during an impassioned speech from the local reverend, the same gang responsible for the first shooting rolls by again and shoots up the funeral itself. This, unfortunately, was a regular occurrence in this life and kudos to Hopper for having the chutzpah to show it here. It is this sort of authenticism that makes the film work. Real gang members were cast in some parts and they filmed in real places like Imperial Courts and The Jungle, which makes for a gritty and unrelenting viewing experience. Of course, some of it is sensationalised and there are a number of scenes which play more like an action movie than a hard-hitting drama, but that really speaks more to cinema at the time this film was made than anything else. This was no longer the 70s. By '88, you had to play the game a little bit to get a message like this across under the radar. 

As you'd expect, the two leads are superb. I don't think I've ever seen a Robert Duvall performance I didn't like and not many people do unfiltered rage better than Sean Penn, especially in his younger days. Its funny though, even though he plays a hard-as-nails LA cop, there are times when he is reduced to what looks like a ten year-old playing dress up. Such is the vulnerability in his desire to impress his more senior partner, who he affectionately calls "uncle". Because the film focuses primarily on the relationship between these two guys, the end packs quite a heavy punch and Duvall's acting in his final moment is heartbreakingly great. You can't really go wrong with these two carrying your film. There is a vague romantic sub-plot with Penn and a local hispanic girl (Maria Conchita Alonso) but the real story here is the world they have to navigate. It is one of poverty, violence, and desolation, and it is shown here without compromise. You get to see early performances from the likes of Don Cheadle, Glen Plummer and Mario Lopez and the title track by Ice-T is an all time classic. "I am a nightmare walkin', psychopath talkin'" go the lyrics, transporting you instantly into the mind state of a young black man fighting for his life. 

The only downside of this film is it's adherence to the familiar tropes of a Hollywood film. For such a gritty and shocking look at a world no one dared look at, there are a number of cliched plot points that feel contrived, given the subject matter. Again though, this is 18 years before 'The Wire' and it's important to remember that movies like 'Juice', 'Boyz N The Hood' and 'Menace 2 Society' didn't yet exist, so in order to even get the go-ahead in the first place I imagine it simply had to adhere to something of a traditional plot. But, despite these minor flaws, this is a film whose influence reaches far and wide. It would be hard to imagine any of the other films just mentioned being made if it wasn't for this one blazing the trail. It's not a perfect film by any stretch, but it is a landmark release in terms of showing the dark side of city life, especially a city as glamorous as LA, and the trials and tribulations of the folk embroiled in this life have to endure. There's also a great recurring joke about bulls, so it's not all doom and gloom. 

An important, somewhat nihilistic, film that has its flaws but shows immense bravery and feels sadly still very relevant today.

★★★☆☆

JB.