‘It’s a cold world blood… No Mercy; ain’t that what you write on the walls?‘
The buddy cop movie has fallen out of fashion in recent years, but when the formula works as with Bad Boys, Training Day, Lethal Weapon, Beverley Hills Cop and many others, it can often be compelling and captivating. Colors is a film that has slipped from the public consciousness despite some incredible acting and some fine work behind the camera from director Dennis Hopper…
Bob Hodges (Robert Duvall) is a seasoned cop who has been working alongside the gangs in East Los Angeles for over 19 years. When Danny McGavin, a hot-headed rookie, is paired with Hodges, the two struggle to find some common ground.
Despite Michael Schiffer’s smart script having some humorous one-liners, Colors is not a comedy. This is a hard-hitting and gritty portrayal of life on the streets of L.A. at the tail end of the ’90s. Hopper and his cast engage with the social issues of the time – namely systematic racism, poverty and gang violence – without ever reaching for a soapbox. Instead, Hopper uses the characters of Hodges and McGavin to lay bear the uneasy relationship between the gangs and the long arm of the law. Penn is always good at playing a little asshole, mainly because it isn’t much of a stretch for the guy, but Duvall’s performance is really something here. Unfortunately, Colors is not the kind of film that would interest the Academy, and this is a shame as Duvall is wonderfully understated and avuncular whilst still being hard and jaded when he needs to be. A masterclass in the art of subtlety.
Colors is a film that deserves to be more remembered than it has become and for those who are fans of the buddy cop subgenre, this should be essential viewing.