History Film / Colors

* CoolGuns: Lots. Mentioned at the beginning of the movie: "They got Uzis, they got shotguns, they got explosives... they got access to any kind of weapon they want within 24 hours."

* HoistByHisOwnPetard: Pacman [=McGavin=] catches a Chicano punk vandalizing a wall with gang-related wording, and after interrogating him, sprays the kid's face green with his own paint can. "What should I have done, put masking tape on his ears!?"

* PrettyBoy: More than once, Danny [=McGavin=] is shown to be more concerned with his appearance and meeting girls than focusing on his work. "You wana look at pussy or learn about this job, which is it?"

* BullyingADragon: [=McGavin=] (Sean Penn) does this almost as a rule when dealing with the street gang members, because many of them are bullies themselves. He fails to see how ineffective and actually damaging his approach is in the long run until Hodges ends up dead.

** Near the end of the movie when the cops close in on the 21st Street gang and are in the process of arresting them, Bird (Gerardo Mejia) makes an impulsive decision to commit SuicideByCop and shoots Hodges. The other cops immediately light Bird up with dozens of bullets, and his girlfriend gets inadvertently smoked right along with him.

* DownerEnding: Hodges is dead, Frog’s brother is likely getting a life sentence, and none of the violence has subsided in any way.

* FauxAffablyEvil: Frog and many members of his gang pretend to be reasonable with Hodges and try to present themselves as less brutal than their Crip enemies, but in fact they're just as dangerous, ruthless, and violent (at the end, Frog smiles when he realizes that Hodges has been killed in the shoot-out).

* FlyawayShot: There is one of these at the end of the scene where Hodges is killed and [=McGavin=] does his SkywardScream.

* TheHeroDies: The cops are arresting the whole 21st Street gang after the big gunfight with the Crips, and Bird desperately fires off a round just seconds before being handcuffed, killing Hodges.
* HeroicBSOD: [=McGavin=] gets it after [[spoiler:Hodges dies at the end of the film]].

* PyrrhicVictory: While cuffed on the ground, Frog sees [[spoiler:Hodges get killed]]. He smiles to himself: he may have to go to jail now, but [[spoiler:Hodges won't be giving him any more trouble when he gets out]].

* SenselessSacrifice: Certainly Hodges. This is an honest, principled man who truly wants to make a difference in his community. The reality is that the community pretty much despises him and all the other police, and wipe their asses with Hodges' noble intentions. He dies in the line of duty, and not a single thing is improved by any of his valiant efforts.
* ShootTheShaggyDogStory: Despite all the efforts nothing has changed at all, and Hodges is dead.

* SkywardScream: [=McGavin=] does this when Hodges is killed by Bird.

* SuicideByCop: Bird, one of the main Chicano gangsters, does this near the end of the movie, taking Hodges (and incidentally, his girlfriend) with him.

* TogetherInDeath: Bird and the chick he was hanging out with are both killed when he shoots Hodges and several cops shoot him in return, several times. The girl was definitely not the intended target, but was a victim of CollateralDamage because she just happened to be right there at that moment. Their handcuffed corpses are seen lying side by side in an overhead shot as the scene wraps.

* BewareTheQuietOnes: "Larry Sylvester: Looney Tunes!" Look out for this guy. Doesn't act up or talk alot, but bangs women and kills other gangsters with no problem.
** Also Rocket, who doesn't say much and rarely even raises his voice (even when threatening people), but he's by far the most dangerous and violent Crip in the gang.

* ShouldHaveThoughtOfThatBeforeX: High Top's name is dropped by a snitch busted in a major cocaine-smuggling investigation, and Hodges gets roasted by [=McGavin=] for not arresting High Top earlier when they had the chance.

* MarkedForDeath:

* FauxAffablyEvil: Frog and many members of his gang pretend to be reasonable with Hodges and try to present themselves as less brutal than their Crip enemies, but in fact they're just as dangerous, ruthless, and violent. Frog even smiles when he realizes that Hodges has been killed.

* BigLippedAlligatorMoment: A member of Rocket's gang amuses himself by dressing up in oversized baby clothes and dancing around with stuffed animals.

* ArcWords: The joke about the 2 bulls that Hodges shares with [=McGavin=]. Near the end of the movie after Hodges is killed, [=McGavin=] shares it with his new partner.

%%* ChaseScene: With cars and motorcycles.
* ClusterFBomb: [=McGavin=] does this frequently.

* AllGirlsWantBadBoys: The gangsters have plenty of hot chicks around, despite being broke, cold-blooded killers living in the slums, and headed for prison or an early death themselves.

* ActionFilmQuietDramaScene: Danny [=McGavin=] at one point turns off his music and stops working out to have a heart-to-heart with Bob Hodges, and apologize for their differences.

* ARealManIsAKiller: After not taking him seriously earlier in the movie, Frog congratulates and extolls Felipe following their gunfight with the Crips, where Felipe helps ambush and murder several men.
* ActorAllusion: Creator/TonyTodd plays a Vietnam War veteran at the conference. Two years before the film’s release, Todd played a soldier serving in the Vietnam War in {{Film/Platoon}}.

* CopHater: Naturally, the vast majority of the gangsters (and even some civilians) are this. A very precious few of them are ''somewhat'' friendly to Hodges only because he is such a ReasonableAuthorityFigure, but even then, it's only superficial and a way to get the cops to leave them alone.