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Two men from opposite sides of the law are undercover within the Massachusetts State Police and the Irish mafia, but violence and bloodshed boil when discoveries are made, and the moles are dispatched to find out their enemy's identities.
Leonardo DiCaprio: Ofcr. William M. 'Billy' Costigan Jr.
Matt Damon: Det. SSgt. Colin Sullivan
Jack Nicholson: Francis 'Frank' Costello
Martin Scorsese a skilled director is an understatement. The Departed is Scorsese at long last back to what he does best. A mob gangster style film in the same vein as Goodfellas and Casino.There are problems with the film though. On the one hand its not very original being instantly recognizable of an unmistakable remake of Infernal Affairs. Martin Scorsese has fallen into the Hollywood trap of stealing from the East and glorifying it for himself.
On the other hand though he has with The Departed injected his own style, his own brand of uniqueness.
''No one gives it to you. You have to take it.''
Right from the beginning you instantly realize The Departed is a film that will have some classy story telling and Martin Scorsese magic.
You realize Jack Nicholson, Leonardo and Matt Damon's presence are not random acts of divine intervention, and if they are, Scorsese is the God and master whom directs his talented puppets.
The cast's performances are unsurpassed, unrivalled and mesmerizing to witness.
Scorsese even throws in the adult cinema scene a glance back to his days and the classic Taxi Driver. Jack Nicholson shines though as the mob boss who has humour even in serious moments.
Also of note the whole Irish Boston thing also reflects Martin Scorsese's heritage, his roots and that shines. Gangs Of New York emphasized this as does all his films, including this one.
Set in Boston, The Departed takes us in this ancestry squalor atmosphere. Beautifully shot scenes of the Massachusetts Golden Dome State Capital building is just one part of the landscape. The Dropkick Murphy's song I'm Shipping up to Boston is simply poetic, mixing the vibe to the visual lushness. Scorsese usually works music into his films really well and The Departed is no exception.
"Cops or Criminals. When you're facing a loaded gun what's the difference?" This quote really represents the film.
Matt Damon plays a state officer in the Police, working for the crime boss of the area, Frank Costello (Nicholson). While Damon's character can be described as a "bad guy," he is really a product of his environment. As a kid, he is sort of mentored into crime business by Costello while Costello becomes the father figure Damon's character never had. Leonardo DiCaprio plays a young guy, coming from a bad, crime ridden family. He decides to become a police officer to get away from the crime life he's been surrounded by. Taking all this into account, Captain Queenen (Sheen) and Seargent Dignam (Wahlberg) decide to send DiCaprio's character undercover to find out more about the criminal underworld and Costello. With his family's crime record, he fit's perfectly into the situation. Now you have a highly ranked officer working for bad guy, and an undercover cop in the criminal underworld working for the State Police. From here it's an all out suspenseful thrill ride. Who's who? Who's working for who? Who can you trust? Paranoia threatens everyone. Lies. Betrayal. Sacrifice. How far will you take it?
When you have greats like Taxi Driver & Raging Bull its obvious the Oscars were having a sympathy vote for poor Scorsese who did deserve to reap the rewards for his efforts, but The Departed not his best work.
On the whole it has some amazing dialogue (Just look at the Alec Baldwin and Mark Wahlberg banter ''How's your motha?''!), some detailed intriguing scenes and violence and a conclusion that had me open jawed in shock.
A worthy adaptation based on Infernal Affairs glamorized by Hollywood class, from the master Maestro Scorsese.
10/10
