DVD Reviews

DVD Review: The Departed (Two-Disc Special Edition)

By Patrick Luce Feb 22, 2007, 15:58 GMT

The Departed IS a Martin Scorsese film and it is impossible to imagine anyone doing it better.

Some movies have so much hype surrounding them that you can’t help but feel letdown when you finally get to see them. The Departed is not one of those movies. From its cast of Hollywood heavyweights to a director that is the master of crime films, The Departed delivers on every level.

Based on the 2002 Hong Kong action film Infernal Affairs, The Departed sees director Martin Scorsese return to his crime film roots and proving that he truly owns the genre. The film has a huge cast including Matt Damon, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg, Martin Sheen and Alec Baldwin. It was written by William Monahan (Kingdom of Heaven) who adapts the screenplay for Infernal Affairs that was written by Siu Fai Mak and Felix Chong.

The Departed demonstrates why Scorsese is the master of the crime genre

While the film’s plot is basically the same as Infernal Affairs, Scorsese and Monahan move the story to Boston. Local crime boss Frank Costello (Nicholson) runs the mean streets and rules the Southie neighborhood with an iron fist. The film starts with an early look at Costello who recruits a young Colin Sullivan (Damon) through charm, money and a little bit of intimidation. We then jump to see Colin in the police academy along with Billy Costigan (DiCaprio) – another kid from the streets of Boston who grew up around Costello, but was saved from his influence.

Both Costigan and Sullivan seem eager to succeed as cops, but for two very different reasons. Sullivan wants the glory that comes with the badge, and Costigan wants to actually make a difference. As Sullivan rises in the ranks, Costigan begins a very dangerous undercover assignment to infiltrate Costello’s mob. He is so far undercover that only two other cops (played by Wahlberg and Sheen) know he is really on the force.

As Costigan becomes the kind of criminal his father tried to make sure he would never be, Sullivan seems to be the golden boy on the force. It is too bad that no one knows he’s actually a rat for Costello. The criminal boss (who Damon refers to as dad during rushed cell phone calls about upcoming bust) has Sullivan squarely in his pocket, and the two seem to have a very beneficial relationship. Although the other cops know there is a rat in their squad, they seem oblivious to Sullivan’s dirtier side and even task him with discovering the rat’s identity.

Meanwhile, Costello has also discovered he has a rat (Costigan) in his squad of criminals and tasked his boy Sullivan to discover the cop’s identity so that he can take care of it. This leads to a deadly game of cat and mouse as Costigan and Sullivan try to discover each other’s identity before they both end up dead. It also makes the movie slowly build into a powder keg that ends with lots of dead bodies hitting the floor (in true Scorsese style).

Costello smells a rat

DiCaprio (who is at his best when teamed with Scorsese) and Damon make this movie work. The two actors stay at a frenzied pace throughout the movie, and look like they are ready to go over the edge at any moment. Their performances are perfect counterparts in the film, and force the audience to stay hooked from the time it starts until the final credit rolls. While DiCaprio has been on a roll lately (with films such as Blood Diamond, Gangs of New York and The Aviator), The Departed is hands down Damon’s best performance in a while, and proves that he is a talented actor.

Nicholson also shines in The Departed, and plays one of the vilest characters that the legendary actor has ever brought to screen. There is nothing redeemable about his character, and Nicholson makes Costello impossible to like – despite the actor’s natural charm that seems to surround every role he takes. From the minute the audience sees Costello (who is constantly spouting praises about being Irish), it is clear this is a bad man without any sense of right and wrong. He takes what he wants, when he wants, and he kills anyone that gets in his way.

The Departed IS a Martin Scorsese film and it is impossible to imagine anyone doing it better – despite the fact that it is a remake of an equally brilliant movie. Scorsese is at home in this genre, and once again proves that he is its master. While The Departed isn’t as good as some of Scorsese’s classic work (such as 1990’s Goodfellas), the film is able to stand up to what the director did early in his filmmaking career, and the brilliant work he has done lately (such as 2002’s Gangs of New York). Rumors are already flooding the Internet that Scorsese is toying with the idea of making a sequel to The Departed, and I hope he does!

While I loved The Departed, there were some things that annoyed me in the film. The biggest problem I had with it was in the editing. At times, it seems like the film does a quick edit just when a scene is getting good. The quick cuts also seem to tone down the violence that Scorsese’s crime films are known for (such as Goodfellas or even Casino). I don’t know if this is something the director did in hopes of finally appealing to the Oscar voters (which he DOES deserve for this film), or if it was done to help the overall pace/feel of the movie.

Damon and DiCaprio stand out in a film filled with Hollywood heavyweights

The quick cuts do become a bit of a distraction (or at least they did for me), and make you wonder how much ended up on the cutting room floor. I am sure a director’s cut of the film will soon come, and I am looking forward to seeing more footage – if that is the case.

The Two-Disc Special Edition comes loaded with features that take you into the movie, and give you a look at its legendary director. The features include nine deleted scenes that are introduced by Scorsese. The scenes are interesting, but leaving them out didn’t hurt the movie. I did enjoy Scorsese’s explanations of the scenes and why they were cut.

The 21-minute feature “Stranger Than Fiction: The True Story of Whitey Bulger, Southie and The Departed” is a detailed look at the Boston criminal who Nicholson’s character was loosely based on for the film. In the feature, Scorsese and Monahan discuss how the character is similar, but not specifically based on Bulger. It also has interviews with some of the cast (such as Damon and Wahlberg), police detectives, and journalist.

The 24-minute "Crossing Criminal Cultures" features the director and his cast discussing the gangster genre and some of Scorsese’s films. It is interesting, but not nearly as good as the 86-minute “Scorsese on Scorsese” – which is the true gem for diehard fans of the director. It features the director talking about his childhood, influences, and movies. The feature includes clips of Scorsese’s films and even the American Express commercial he shot.

The Departed is close to a perfect criminal film, and is a brilliant piece of work by Scorsese. Everyone in the cast deliver strong performances - with Damon and DiCaprio standing out in the picture. If you are fan of Scorsese or the crime genre, you MUST see The Departed. If not, I would still recommend the movie.