Scorsese’s latest film ‘departs’ from ordinary crime thrillers

By Jordan Blum

Looking for an edge-of-your-seat crime thriller with great acting, writing, directing and plot twists? If so, look no further than The Departed. It’s one of the best movies of the year.

Martin Scorsese (The Aviator) is regarded as one of the best American directors of the last century. With The Departed, he has not only created one of his best films, but also one of the best Japanese adaptations.

The Departed is an American remake of the 2002 Japanese film Infernal Affairs. How it rates compared to the original is unknown, but it’s a fantastic ride in its own right.

The plot is perfect for Scorsese. Jack Nicholson (Anger Management) plays Frank Costello, a man who uses force and intimidation to run the streets of Boston. Leonardo DiCaprio (Blood Diamond) plays Billy Costigan, a cop who goes undercover as part of Frank’s gang. Matt Damon (Syriana) plays Colin Sullivan, another cop who has a connection with Frank (which, to avoid spoilers, won’t be discussed here). Both Billy and Colin answer to Captain Oliver Queenan (Martin Sheen) and Sergeant Dignam (Mark Wahlberg).

The film is essentially about double crossings. Frank finds out that there is an informant in his group, and Queenan suspects that there is a traitor in his department. This leads to a lot of violence, distrust, betrayal and plot twists.

The performances are phenomenal. Nicholson portrays the confident and threatening presence of his character convincingly. DiCaprio is subtle but perfect as he reacts to the accusations of his boss, Frank. There is an underlying fright in his denial of what Frank is suggesting. Damon proves he is a good actor given the right script; the part of Colin fits him well. Sheen (TV’s The West Wing) does a good job with Queenan, a two-dimensional character. Finally, Wahlberg (The Italian Job) gives a surprisingly good, but a bit overdone, performance of a very angry and short-tempered police sergeant. Mostly all of the actors deserve an award for bringing Scorsese’s characters to life.

Scorsese is simply a great director. In this case, it’s mainly because of the symbolism he places in the frame of his shots. The story keeps the viewer on edge for the duration, as the film does a great job of sparking interest in what will happen to the characters. The final act is tense and shocking.

The film has recently been released in a two-disc form on DVD. Despite no commentary track, it is well worth a purchase. “Scorsese on Scorsese” is a 90-minute interview with the director about his films and filmmaking. Another DVD extra, “The Story of the Boston Mob” is a look at some of the biggest names from Boston’s crime organizations. “Crossing Criminal Cultures” talks about the criminal aspect of his films, and why he is so interested in the topic. Finally, there is a theatrical trailer and nine deleted scenes (with an introduction by Scorsese). Overall, this second disc gives great insight into both the movie and the director.

Simply put, The Departed is one of Scorsese’s best films. Any fan of his previous work, any fan of the main actors’ work, or really any fan of film in general will love it. The film is gritty, adult, violent, intriguing, shocking and overall a great movie. It will hold viewers’ attention until its incredible ending, and then stay in their minds for a while. Do not depart from any intentions of seeing (or owning) The Departed.