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The Departed is a perfect example of why remakes shouldn't be dismissed out of
hand. Director Martin Scorsese and screenwriter William Monahan have taken the
B-grade Hong Kong crime flick Infernal Affairs and re-imagined it as an American
epic tragedy. The original film was gritty and entertaining; the new version is
a masterpiece - the best effort Scorsese has brought to the screen since Goodfellas
(ending a decade-long drought of disappointments and
near-misses). In making The Departed, Scorsese has retained
the essential plot structure of Infernal Affairs but has
transformed the movie into something truly his own.
Characters are better defined and situations are given an
opportunity to breathe. None of this is done at the cost of
pacing; The Departed is as suspenseful as anything the
director has previously achieved. This movie deserves
mention alongside Scorsese's most celebrated movies: Taxi
Driver, Raging Bull, Goodfellas, and The Age of Innocence.
Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Colin Sullivan (Matt
Damon) both start out life on the streets of Boston's Irish
American community, which is presided over by gangster Frank
Costello (Jack Nicholson). From there, their paths diverge.
After a rough youth, Costigan enrolls in the police academy
with the goal of becoming a state trooper. Sullivan also
becomes a cop, but for a different reason - he's Costello's
right-hand man and will provide him with valuable inside
information. Meanwhile, Captain Queenan (Martin Sheen) and
Sgt. Dignam (Mark Wahlberg) have hand-picked Costigan for a
crucial job: infiltrate Costello's inner circle. It's a role
he accepts and succeeds at, although not without difficulty.
Thus begins a high-stakes game, with Costigan sending back
information to the cops about Costello's plans while
Sullivan counters by leaking police intelligence to his
boss. Both moles know there are leaks, but neither is aware
of the truth about the other's position.
On-screen talent pools don't get much deeper than this one,
with A-list actors like Martin Sheen, Mark Wahlberg, and
Alec Baldwin accepting supporting roles. Leonardo DiCaprio
and Matt Damon prove two crucial things: they are not
interchangeable and, when pushed by someone who can direct
actors, they can give riveting performances. DiCaprio has
displayed growth in each of his appearances for Scorsese,
and this is by far the best work he has done in his career.
Jack Nicholson is in top form, providing a diabolical
villain who can deliver a monologue with unparalleled verve.
His part is showy enough that it will be virtually
impossible for him to be ignored at Oscar time.
Up-and-coming actress Vera Farmiga and British tough guy Ray
Winstone round out a cast that, if not perfect, is close to
it.
The consistent levels of intrigue and tension are among The
Departed's high points. Scorsese draws viewers in with a
captivating monologue delivered by Nicholson at a time in
the past (the date is not specified, but it is presumably
the early 1980s), which includes the most memorable two
lines in Monahan's screenplay: "I don't want to be a product
of my environment. I want my environment to be a product of
me." After this quick introduction, the scene shifts to the
present. It takes a little while for the ins-and-outs of the
setup to become clear, but once the sides are established
and the cat-and-mouse games begin, the suspense begins to
slowly simmer. Even knowing what was coming (from having
seen Infernal Affairs), I remained on the edge of my seat.
Unlike many remakes, this one feels fresh, not recycled.
The two characters to profit most from this re-envisioning
are Costello, whose role has been expanded to provide
Nicholson with more screen time. It's understandable - few
actors can add more color to a bad guy than Nicholson, and
he relishes every moment in front of the camera. Unlike in
Batman, where he chewed the scenery, he avoids going
over-the-top, and this makes Costello as frightening as he
is magnetic. As Madeleine, a woman caught between Costigan
and Sullivan, Vera Farmiga also benefits. Until now, the
actress has largely flown under the radar (despite a
significant role in the box office dud Running Scared), but
this should be an opportunity for her to garner some notice.
Had Robert De Niro played Queenan, as was originally
intended, no doubt the Captain's role would have been
enlarged. However, when De Niro became unavailable due to
scheduling conflicts, Martin Sheen was brought in.
Thematically, The Departed fits well with the director's
oeuvre. The movie concentrates on family and betrayal, and
what constitute both. The lead characters are loners, but
they are linked to the world of Boston gangsters by blood
ties. Each also commits at least one betrayal, but the
question becomes "Who are they betraying?" It's not as easy
to answer as one might suspect. In the murky waters of
double agents, moles, and rats, loyalty isn't a facile
commodity to gauge. Every character ultimately earns his or
her fate, except perhaps one.
Two technical hallmarks of Scorsese's films are in evidence.
Michael Ballhaus' cinematography is intense and moody. Even
though a significant portion of the movie was shot in New
York City, the feel is "all Boston." Howard Shore provides
the score, but the most notable aspect of the soundtrack is
the near-perfect song selection. For the third time in his
career, Scorsese uses the Rolling Stones' "Gimme Shelter"
(see also Goodfellas and Casino). He also employs a cover of
Pink Floyd's "Comfortably Numb" during a key sequence.
Since this is a gangster film, there's plenty of
bloodletting and profanity, although one could argue that
The Departed is tame compared to some of what Scorsese has
given us in the past. Nevertheless, seeing the respected
director back at the top of his game with a movie that could
be both commercially and critically successful is a source
of jubilation. Scorsese’s movies usually have an operatic
quality; this one reaches the heights of Shakespearean
tragedy. The movies have been in the doldrums lately; The
Departed is a much needed tonic. It is also 2006's best
film.
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