The Departed (2006)

Director:

Martin Scorsese

Writers (WGA):

William Monahan (screenplay)
Siu Fai Mak (2002 screenplay Mou gaan dou) ...

Release Date:

6 October 2006 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

Lies. Betrayal. Sacrifice. How far will you take it?

Plot:

Two men from opposite sides of the law are undercover within the Massachusetts State Police and the Irish mafia, but violence and bloodshed boil when discoveries are made, and the moles are dispatched to find out their enemy's identities.

Plot Keywords:

Sex | Drug Addict | Shot In The Chin | City | Dress

Awards:

Won 4 Oscars. Another 47 wins & 50 nominations

Cast

Leonardo DiCaprio	...	Billy Costigan
Matt Damon	...	Colin
Jack Nicholson	...	Costello
Mark Wahlberg	...	Dignam
Martin Sheen	...	Queenan
Ray Winstone	...	Mr. French
Vera Farmiga	...	Madolyn
Anthony Anderson	...	Brown
Alec Baldwin	...	Ellerby
Kevin Corrigan	...	Cousin Sean
James Badge Dale	...	Barrigan
David O'Hara	...	Fitzy (as David Patrick O'Hara)
Mark Rolston	...	Delahunt
Robert Wahlberg	...	Lazio - FBI
Kristen Dalton	...	Gwen

Also Known As:

Infernal Affairs (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong brutal violence, pervasive language, some strong sexual content and drug material.

Runtime:

151 min

Country:

USA | Hong Kong

Language:

English | Cantonese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | DTS | SDDS

Certification:

Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Finland:K-15 | Norway:15 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Ireland:18 (video rating) | USA:R (certificate #42877) | Denmark:15 | Argentina:16 | Greece:K-13 | Hong Kong:IIB | Singapore:M18 (edited version) | Netherlands:16 | Israel:16 | Spain:18 | Australia:MA | South Korea:15 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | Ireland:16 (original rating) | Sweden:15 | Canada:18A (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Ontario) | UK:18 | Malaysia:18SG | India:A | Iran:18+ | Japan:R-15 | Germany:16 | France:U (with warning) | Portugal:M/16 | New Zealand:R16 | Brazil:18 | Philippines:R-13 (MTRCB)

Filming Locations:

Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

When the main characters are shown in a police academy ballistics lecture at the beginning, the large flip chart illustrations seen in the background are Warren Commission exhibits of President John F. Kennedy's head wounds, prepared by medical illustrator H.A. Rydberg under the direction of Dr. James Humes, the chief examiner of Kennedy's autopsy.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Bill, Costello, and Mr. French are heading towards the cocaine warehouse in Gloucester, shots inside the car show them crossing the Zakim bridge Northbound. Shots outside the car show them heading towards the bridge Southbound.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Frank Costello: I don't want to be a product of my environment. I want my environment to be a product of me. Years ago we had the church. That was only a way of saying - we had each other. The Knights of Columbus were real head-breakers; true guineas. They took over their piece of the city. Twenty years after an Irishman couldn't get a fucking job, we had the presidency. May he rest in peace. That's what the niggers don't realize. If I got one thing against the black chappies, it's this - no one gives it to you. You have to take it.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The 79th Annual Academy Awards (2007) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Let It Loose

Better than Goodfellas?

Dare I? Dare I say it? This movie is better than Goodfellas. There, I said it.

I saw this latest Scorsese film at an advance screening. Needless to say I was expecting a lot – more than I thought this director (of classics like Taxi Driver but lately of Gangs of New York) would deliver. I was very wrong.

Though the exact plot is unimportant, The Departed is about the blurred lines that distinguish good guy from bad guy, and cop from robber, in present-day Boston. With a packed cast (which I need not mention) that includes great supporting roles by Martin Sheen and Alec Baldwin, the acting in the departed is stellar. Living-legend Jack Nicholson flawlessly delivers one of his best performances in years as the execrable mob boss Frank Costello. Nicholson's nuanced acting was so on-point that at times I felt like I was actually about to be shot by the slimy capo.

The Departed is nothing short of spectacular. Funnier that most comedies, Scorsese is still able to amplify the bloodshed and meticulously deliver a stunning cinematic achievement.

Bravo, Mr. Scorsese; you have outdone yourself.