Mob Month: The Departed (2006)

Is there anything better than a Boston accent?

I. What is It?

The Departed (2006) is the story of two men. Two moles on either side of the law. One an undercover cop (Leonardo DiCaprio), and one a compromised cop (Matt Damon) beholden to Boston's most dangerous crime lord (Jack Nicholson). Each man hunts the other in a dangerous game of cat and mouse.

II. A Rogue's Gallery

This film features a great cast of characters played by a cast of talent that only Martin Scorsese could have assembled.

Leonardo DiCaprio is well into his Oscar hunt with his turn as Billy Costigan. He's adopted a Southie brogue, a whiplash temper, and a crackerjack energy. DiCaprio anchors the film with pathos and power.

Not to be outdone, Matt Damon, as Colin Sullivan, is a wonderful foil to Leo's Costigan. Sullivan is all false suave, and hidden simper. He's a ratfink piece of shit, but, in Damon's capable hands, you can't help but feel for the guy.

Jack Nicholson is given free rein to chew the scenery like a cackling jackal. His performance as Francis Costello is pure Jack Nicholson lunacy. His Costello is brutal, fatherly and wonderfully unhinged by turns.

Mark Wahlberg is due props as Dignam, the foul-mouthed second to Martin Sheen's Queenan. Wahlberg is clearly having fun and it's hard not to enjoy his vibe every time he's onscreen.

III. Gorgeous

Michael Ballhaus' photography is pristine, well-composed, and dynamic. This movie is a pleasure to look at, with Boston's lovingly-represented red bricks, and brilliant blue skies. Ballhaus arranges his figures in frame with precision, creating well-balanced painterly images.

IV. What a Soundtrack

This movie introduced the world to The Dropkick Murphys, and utilized great classic rock tunes from The Rolling Stones to fill its sonic space with emotive, instantly iconic sounds. Scorsese knows exactly when to drop the needle, and when to cut the music out for dramatic effect.

This is a soundtrack that you can buy and just listen to.

Props also to Howard Shore's score. He does a lot of work keeping up with the licensed soundtrack, but ably provides a capable underscore whenever the film needs it.

V. Lots to Think About

Mob movies are pretty straight forward: they are stories about bad people doing bad things. The fascination the average person has for the life of crime is usually more than enough to make a decently-made mob flick successful.

Scorsese capitalizes on the Hong Kong original (more on that in a separate review), Infernal Affairs (2002), by taking that film's themes and meaty moral quandary and digs in. William Monahan's script is clever, with authentic-feeling dialogue and wonderful character moments for the actors to revel in.

This is the story of two men who are nearly identical: each is a cop, each has infiltrated an opposing organization, each has a father figure shepherding them, and each of them is haunted by the double lives they live. Scorsese, Damon and DiCaprio are firing on all cylinders, playing on subtle parallels and muddy morality. Sullivan does good things, but is ultimately a gangster, himself. Costigan is a cop, but has hurt and abused people and done terrible things to keep his cover. Are either of them good men? Are either of them truly villains? The movie refuses to let Costigan off the hook, and challenges you to see Sullivan's reality. I like that.


SPOILERS BELOW


Scorsese adds a fascinating wrinkle by revealing that Francis is an FBI informant. It is incredibly ironic how hurt and angry Sullivan is at this. A man whose life and career are a lie is affronted at Costello's betrayal. And he never saw it coming. The look of sheer idiot hurt on Damon's face as Frank collapses in that warehouse is a thing of beauty.


END SPOILERS

VI. A Bit Long in the Tooth

This movie is 151 minutes long. It maybe twists and turns a few times too many, leading to a nearly zany finale of head-shots and back-stabbings. There are a few heel-turns that are too clever by half, or think they are. I am glad that Scorsese let the film breathe, and allowed himself the opportunity to explore the themes and ideas, but I do think the film could have lost a good 10-15 minutes.

VII. Should You Watch It?

Yes. Absolutely, yes. The Italian mob gets a lot of love in the Mob Genre, but Scorsese has given us a wonderful Irish mob tale that has shouldered its way to the front of the pack. It's not just a good mob movie. It's a great movie, from start to finish.

Miscellany

- About half of the film's $90 million budget went to actor's salaries. Yowza.
- Scorsese originally wanted Al Pacino for Costello, but Pacino passed. Nicholson also originally turned the part down, but accepted after a meeting with Scorsese, Monahan and DiCaprio.
- Scorsese won an Oscar for Best Director after being previously nominated six times. The film also scored Best Picture, Best Film Editing, and Best Adapted Screenplay statues.
- Nicholson refused to wear a Boston Red Sox hat during filming, and is seen onscreen wearing a Yankees hat instead.
- Scorsese wanted to film in Boston, but couldn't. A majority of the filming was done in New York with only a week or two filmed in Boston. After the success of this movie, Massachusetts created a tax credit for film companies. 
- Frank Costello's mug shot was also used as Jack Napier's mugshot in Batman (1989). 
- The F-word is used 238 times.
- JackNicholson largely improvised his scenes as Frank, to lend a unpredictable feel for everyone on set.
- Scorsese used Xs in the backgrounds of many scenes to forecast a character's death. Look for them. They're everywhere. This is an homage to 1932's Scarface.