COLOR OF NIGHT (1994)
Reviewed by Jerry Saravia
Just before the firestorm of "Pulp Fiction" in the fall of 1994, Bruce Willis's career was considered kaput. He appeared in disposable, mediocre fare like "Striking Distance" and as an angel dressed in a bunny suit in "North." "Color of Night" is another dreadful Willis flick that almost put the nail in the coffin in his career.
Willis stars as a psychologist named Dr. Bill Capa, who has just quit the business after witnessing the suicidal death of one of his patients. In a lurid opening sequence, the good doctor's patient (Kathleen Wilhoilte) jumps out of his office window from a high rise building. Dr. Capa decides to call it quits after that horrible incident, especially when he becomes psychosomatically blind to the color red (which often resembles a dark gray color). A friend of Capa's (Scott Bakula) invites him to take a breather in California and see some of his own group of patients. Before you know it, Capa's psychiatric buddy is murdered and now everyone in the group is a suspect. Then we are treated to a sensuous, stunning woman named Rose (Jane March), who runs into Capa's car accidentally. Capa starts having a hot affair with Rose. Meanwhile, Lt. Martinez (Ruben Blades) is investigating Bakula's murder and asking Capa to obtain information from each member of the group. Then we are treated to more murders, more sex scenes, car chases, more and more sex scenes (including full frontal male and female nudity) and a number of lingering implausibilities, including a rare case of someone with psychic abilities (though this is no fantasy or horror film).
"Color of Night" is the first film by director Richard Rush since his highly regarded "The Stunt Man," a film I do not place on any pedestal. In any case, it would be wise to watch "The Stunt Man" instead of this noirish, farcical hodgepodge of cliches and stupidity with an ending right out of a slasher flick (the nail gun bit was put to better use in "Lethal Weapon 2"). The pacing and the performances are at such a high pitch that you may wonder why this was not made into a comedy. Good actors like Lance Henriksen, Brad Dourif and Lesley Anne-Warren are given ample opportunity to overact shamelessly and pronounce the most ridiculously awful dialogue I have heard in many moons. I will say that the sex scenes are sultry and Jane March and Bruce Willis are convincing as a sexy couple (the version I viewed was ten minutes longer than the original due to censored sexual acts). On the other hand, most soft-core porno has convincing sexy couples as well.
