The Departed

Year: 2006
Director: Martin Scorsese
Page: 947

The Departed, staring a plethora of big-names, is a crime film that digs deep into the heart of the Irish-American mobsters of Boston. The film deals the viewer a plot full of twists and intricate nuances that the cast deliver with stellar performances.

The sceenplay, written by William Monahan and directed by Martin Scorsese, remakes Hong Kong film Infernal Affairs and transports it to Boston with impressive results. Monahan’s script deals with the subtle Boston specificities with particular skill and this shows through to the actors’ wrangling of the speed and complexity of blue-collar Boston speech. A notable example is Alec Baldwin as Captain George Ellerby, who maintains a somewhat comic relief in the film. However this comic relief is small and still manages to fit with the seriousness of the rest of the film.

The film itself deals with insiders on both sides of the law, in the police ranks and within the mob. The Irish-American mobsters have an informant within the Massachusetts State Police, whilst the police have managed to get an informant within the mob. What follows is a complex cat-and-mouse game in which each informant aims to rat out the other before they are found out. The drama and thrill of this back-and-forth game being played on both sides of the thin blue line creates a high tension as the viewer awaits the final climax. However, this climax is met with a twist, followed by a twist, followed by a twist back to the start, and the viewer is left feeling empty and somewhat disgruntled by the result. The film in no means has a happy ending, and whilst the bad guys lose so do the good guys.

The film is ultimately a question of identity. Does Detective Sullivan (Matt Damon) belong in the police force, or is he part of the mob? Is Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio) a member of the mob, or is he merely obeying police orders? This is what the film aims to determine, with Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson) being the main antagonist of these questions. Furthermore, the film also highlights the relationship of Irish-Americans to their spiritual home across the Atlantic. What is most intriguing is the way in which the film displayed this connection to their Irish heritage, a connection that seems to go much deeper than words.

The film also portrays the Boston identity in mostly an accurate light. The Boston accent, utilised by most of the actors, is the most notable representation of this. Whilst some (Damon in particular) manage the accent magnificently, others (mostly the minor characters) seem horribly stereotypical and over the top in their wrangling of the accent. The infusion of Boston throughout the film is not in-your-face, but instead is more subtle, as the film tries to immerse you in this world of corruption and deceit, rather than sell the city to prospective tourists. As such the city feels more real, more organic, and the film manages to live within the city, rather than live as the city.

This extends into the characters, who themselves feel real and organic. Nicholson as mob chief Frank Costello is magnificent and he portrays his deterioration and increased mental instability with an ease that only Nicholson knows. Damon as Detective Sullivan portrays a crooked cop with overwhelming honesty, and the viewer cannot help but occasionally feel like he is doing the right thing, as if his deceit is normal. DiCaprio is masterful as Costigan and manages to convey his internal conflict and mental stress brilliantly.

Whilst the film is excellent, it is not perfect. The length of the film meant there were many lulls that seemed to slow the progress for little gain. The opening scene of the film is long, with it being eighteen minutes before the opening credits begin. The film also begins confusingly, with time seeming to shift back and forth and the viewer unsure of where, why or when the movie is set. This seems to be a common theme in mob crime films, with facts being laid out so quickly and confusingly that it is easy to get lost. Also, despite most of the film steering well clear of many crime film stereotypes, the scene in which Costigan follows Sullivan through the Boston streets is a veritable raft of clichés involving mirrors, running in front of cars, trash cans, ringing phones, billowing steam, and people stepping out of hidden doorways.  This scene was a particular weak spot in an otherwise spectacular film.

All in all The Departed is a great film. Whilst it does have its downsides and its few bad scenes, the intricate plot, surprising twist, and excellent acting do bring it into its own.

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