The DepartedThe Departed follows two similar yet different young cadets emerging from the Massachusetts police academy: William "Billy" Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon). Costigan comes from a rough upbringing, his mother having recently departed from cancer, but is recruited into a highly dangerous and unusual undercover operation to infiltrate and build a case against criminal kingpin Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson). Sullivan, on the other hand, has been in the pocket of Costello since he was a kid--Costello having been something of a benefactor for Sullivan, priming his talents to rocket Sullivan up the ranks of the state police, a different kind of man on the inside.
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Adapted from a Hong Kong film called Internal Affairs, The Departed is a cops-and-robbers tale, with lightning quick jump cuts between scenes, flashbacks, and ideas and plot that comes fast. Director Martin Scorsese chops away superfluous elements, and delivers a story that rushes in without hesitation. Traditional to Scorsese's oeuvre, the film delivers intense violence paired with a rich soundtrack of classic rock and soulful hits. The musical accompaniment is reminiscent of great jukebox hits--from Patsy Cline to The Rolling Stones, and then some--played over the smoky atmosphere of a dank Irish pub, the sound of pool cues and glasses clattering--a perfect ambiance for the sometimes shifty, sometimes manic blend of intrigue and crime. The Departed takes the idea of a cop chasing a criminal, and turns it on its head, with Costigan forced to give up the role of a cop (superficially) for the role of an ex-con who worms his way into Costello's organization, while reporting to his actual boss, Capt. Queenan (Martin Sheen) and the foul-mouthed Sgt. Dignam (Mark Wahlberg) who manages the undercover cops. Sullivan reports to Capt. Ellerby of SIU (Alec Baldwin), who is constantly trying to get the names of the those undercover cops to serve his efforts to nab Costello. The big division in the police's management results in heated arguments, but distrust and paranoia runs so deep throughout the world of The Departed, that honesty is a last resort, and far from a virtue. Sullivan has some intimacy issues, though he attempts to mask these with homophobic comments and constant skirt chasing...until he finally secures an attractive, intelligent psychiatrist, Dr. Madolyn Madden (Vera Farmiga), who also happens to be the court appointed "shrink" to Costigan, who becomes a rare source of comfort in Billy's rapid descent into the abyss.
One of the things about The Departed that is particularly fascinating is how identity blurs and bends, and Costigan and Sullivan--two sides of the same coin--get flipped, both metaphorically and somewhat literally (in the criminal lingo of "turning someone against their colleagues"). Costigan ingratiates himself so deeply in Costello's network that he becomes an essential component of the group; Sullivan recruits several of his former academy classmates to serve as his own personal network of trusted detectives, the same kind of tactic Costello used to recruit him. Costigan has a history of violence, but seems relatively in control of his anger...until provoked--and that is exactly how Queenan (via Dignam) convinces him to join their cause. Queenan puts it best: they "deal in deception"; but that works both ways. While Costello may not come across as being as "book-smart" as Queenan, he clearly has a coordinated network of criminals accountable to him, and a moderately sophisticated system of code his men use to reach out to him via cell phone. In fact, the cell phone occupies a unique role in The Departed, allowing characters to converse with others while remaining in motion...and remaining in motion is key, because tension runs high, and the anxiety that comes with that level of frenzy keeps the fear hot. Frank Costello exemplifies this instability, a perfect example of the corruption in both the police and the underworld. Never once do we really feel any sense of compassion or sympathy for the loathsome gangster, but we feel his overarching reach on the world he inhabits, one filled with lies and deception...a world of rats, some of them occasionally even trying to do the right thing.
Recommended for: Fans of intense action and a powerful drama crafted by one of the most amazing filmmakers, a cast of outstanding actors, and a densely wrought tale of lies and intrigue.
One of the things about The Departed that is particularly fascinating is how identity blurs and bends, and Costigan and Sullivan--two sides of the same coin--get flipped, both metaphorically and somewhat literally (in the criminal lingo of "turning someone against their colleagues"). Costigan ingratiates himself so deeply in Costello's network that he becomes an essential component of the group; Sullivan recruits several of his former academy classmates to serve as his own personal network of trusted detectives, the same kind of tactic Costello used to recruit him. Costigan has a history of violence, but seems relatively in control of his anger...until provoked--and that is exactly how Queenan (via Dignam) convinces him to join their cause. Queenan puts it best: they "deal in deception"; but that works both ways. While Costello may not come across as being as "book-smart" as Queenan, he clearly has a coordinated network of criminals accountable to him, and a moderately sophisticated system of code his men use to reach out to him via cell phone. In fact, the cell phone occupies a unique role in The Departed, allowing characters to converse with others while remaining in motion...and remaining in motion is key, because tension runs high, and the anxiety that comes with that level of frenzy keeps the fear hot. Frank Costello exemplifies this instability, a perfect example of the corruption in both the police and the underworld. Never once do we really feel any sense of compassion or sympathy for the loathsome gangster, but we feel his overarching reach on the world he inhabits, one filled with lies and deception...a world of rats, some of them occasionally even trying to do the right thing.
Recommended for: Fans of intense action and a powerful drama crafted by one of the most amazing filmmakers, a cast of outstanding actors, and a densely wrought tale of lies and intrigue.