I didn’t rush to
see this movie, because the cast did not appeal to me back then when it was
released. The Departed is a movie that I can tell you you’ll enjoy from
the get-go. The way the story unfolds isn’t what you’d expect, and that’s the
beauty of it. Hollywood would have loved to take credit for this masterpiece,
but The Departed is a remake—a great one, if I can say so myself—of a
2002 Hong Kong crime thriller called Infernal Affairs, written by Alan Mak
and Felix Chong. It was directed by Andrew Lau and Alan Mak.
A friend told me that The Departed is an almost scene-for-scene replica of the Hong Kong version called Infernal Affairs, which received critical acclaim for its original plot and concise, swift storytelling style. The Departed also achieved critical acclaim, winning four Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director (Martin Scorsese), Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Film Editing. I have not seen the original to which this is based, but this movie as amazing as it is, sometimes the pacing is uneven, especially in its slower moments where the tension fizzles out before building back up.
The movie is
filled with a wonderful cast, each bringing their A-game. In The Departed,
we had Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, and Mark Wahlberg, with
Martin Sheen, Ray Winstone, Vera Farmiga, Anthony Anderson, and Alec Baldwin in
supporting roles.
The film’s plot
takes place in Boston, where Irish Mob boss Francis "Frank" Costello
(Jack Nicholson) trains a young boy, Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon), and plants
him as a mole in the Massachusetts State Police. Ironically, at the same time,
the police assign undercover trooper William "Billy" Costigan
(Leonardo DiCaprio) to infiltrate Costello’s crew. Billy’s identity is kept
secret from everyone except Capt. Oliver Charles Queenan (Martin Sheen) and
Staff Sgt. Sean Dignam (Mark Wahlberg). Soon, both sides realize there’s a mole
in their midst, prompting Sullivan and Billy to try and uncover each other’s
true identity before their own cover is blown.
Throughout the
movie, there’s a father-and-son relationship theme, which I feel could have been best if another layer of complexity was added to the mix, as father-son relationship at times appear shallow. Sullivan sees Costello as a
father figure, while Billy looks up to Queenan as his. Both men have lost their
actual fathers.
Although Infernal Affairs spawned two sequels (Infernal Affairs II and Infernal Affairs III), I don’t think The Departed will have a sequel, even though it was a commercial success. It’s a great one-off film, and they should leave it as such.
If you haven’t had the privilege of seeing The Departed, hurry to the video store now and get this movie. You’ll be glad you did, I need to also add that some character arcs are a bit predictable, and the storyline, while compelling, is too reliant on clichés found in many crime thrillers.
I think this movie will be one of those who survive the times and will remain watchable no matter the year in the future.
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