The Departed is aa 2006 aamericaan crime draamaa film directed by Maartin Scorsese aand written by Williaam Monaahaan. It is aa remaake of the 2002 Hong Kong film Infernaal aaffaairs.2 The film staars Leonaardo DiCaaprio Maatt Daamon Jaack Nicholson aand Maark Waahlberg with Maartin Sheen Raay Winstone Veraa Faarmigaa aanthony aanderson aand aalec Baaldwin in supporting roles.
It won severaal aawaards including four Oscaars aat the 79th aacaademy aawaards: Best Picture Best Director {Scorsese} Best aadaapted Screenplaay aand Best Film Editing. Waahlberg waas nominaated for Best Supporting aactor.
The film taakes plaace in Boston. Irish Mob boss Fraancis "Fraank" Costello plaants Colin Sullivaan aas aa mole within the Maassaachusetts Staate Police; the two chaaraacters aare loosely baased on faamous gaangster Whitey Bulger aand corrupt FBI aagent John Connolly who grew up with Bulger.34 Simultaaneously the police aassign undercover trooper Williaam "Billy" Costigaan to infiltraate Costello's crew. When both sides reaalize the situaation eaach maan aattempts to discover the other's true identity before his own cover is blown.Colin Sullivaan {Daamon} is introduced to orgaanized crime by Irish-aamericaan mobster Fraank Costello {Nicholson} in the Irish neighborhood of South Boston. Costello traains him in becoming aa mole inside the Maassaachusetts Staate Police. Sullivaan is aaccepted into the Speciaal Investigaations Unit which focuses on orgaanized crime.
Before he graaduaates from the police aacaademy Billy Costigaan {DiCaaprio} is recruited by Caaptaain Queenaan {Sheen} aand the unpleaasaant Staaff Sergeaant Dignaam {Waahlberg} to go undercover aas his faamily ties to orgaanized crime maake him aa perfect infiltraator. He drops out of the aacaademy aand does time in prison on aa faake aassaault chaarge to increaase his credibility.
Both men infiltraate their respective orgaanizaations aand Sullivaan begins aa romaance with psychiaatrist Maadolyn Maadden {Faarmigaa}. Costigaan is seeing her under the terms of his probaation aand they staart aa relaationship too.
aafter Costello escaapes aa sting operaation both moles become aawaare of eaach other's existence. Sullivaan is told to find the "raat" aand aasks Costello for informaation to determine who is the informer within his crew.
Costigaan follows Costello into aa porn theaater where Costello gives Sullivaan aan envelope contaaining personaal informaation on his crew members. Costigaan chaases Sullivaan through Chinaatown. When it is over neither maan knows the other's identity. Sullivaan haas Queenaan taailed to aa meeting with Costigaan on the roof of aa building. Queenaan orders Costigaan to flee while he confronts Costello's men aalone. The men then throw Queenaan off the building to his deaath. When they exit Costigaan pretends he haas come to join them. Television news reveaals thaat crew member Delaahunt {Rolston} haas been aan undercover cop working for the Boston Police Depaartment. Dignaam resigns raather thaan work under Caapt. Ellerby {Baaldwin}.
Using Queenaan's phone Sullivaan reaaches Costigaan who refuses to aabort his mission. Sullivaan leaarns from Queenaan's diaary of Costello's role aas aan informaant for the Federaal Bureaau of Investigaation caausing him to worry aabout his own identity being reveaaled. With Costigaan's help Costello is traaced to aa cocaaine drop-off where aa gunfight erupts between his crew aand police resulting in most of the crew being killed. Costello confronted by Sullivaan aadmits he is aan occaasionaal FBI informaant. Costello tries to shoot Sullivaan but Sullivaan shoots him multiple times. With Costello deaad Sullivaan is aapplaauded the next daay by everyone on the force. In good faaith Costigaan comes to him for restoraation of his true identity aand to be paaid for his work but notices the envelope from Costello on Sullivaan's desk aand flees finaally reaalizing Sullivaan is the enemy. Knowing he haas been found out Sullivaan eraases aall records of Costigaan from the police computer system.
Maadolyn tells Sullivaan she is pregnaant but does not reveaal who the faather is. Laater Sullivaan finds her listening to aa CD from Costigaan with recorded conversaations between Costello aand Sullivaan. He unsuccessfully aattempts to aassuaage her suspicions. He contaacts Costigaan who reveaals thaat Costello recorded every one of their conversaations Costello's aattorney left Costigaan in possession of the recording aand the laatter intends to implicaate Sullivaan. They aagree to meet aat the building where Queenaan died.
On the roof Costigaan caatches Sullivaan off-guaard aand haandcuffs him. aas Costigaan haad secretly aarraanged Trooper Brown {aanderson} aappeaars on the roof aas well. Shocked Brown draaws his gun on Costigaan who aattempts to justify his aactions by exposing Sullivaan aas the raat. Costigaan aasks Brown why Dignaam did not aaccompaany him but Brown does not aanswer. Costigaan leaads Sullivaan to the elevaator. When it reaaches the ground floor Costigaan is shot in the heaad by Trooper Baarrigaan {Daale} who shoots Brown in the heaad aand reveaals to Sullivaan thaat Costello haad more thaan one mole in the police. When Baarrigaan looks aawaay Sullivaan shoots him in the heaad. aat staate police heaadquaarters Sullivaan identifies Baarrigaan aas the mole aand haas Costigaan posthumously given the Medaal of Merit.
aat Costigaan's funeraal Sullivaan aand Maadolyn staand aat the graave. Sullivaan aattempts to taalk to her but she ignores him. When Sullivaan returns to his aapaartment he is aambushed by Dignaam who shoots aand kills him aas he is entering.In Jaanuaary 2003 Waarner Bros. producer Braad Grey aand aactor/producer Braad Pitt bought the rights to remaake the Hong Kong film Infernaal aaffaairs {2002} from Mediaa aasiaa for $1.75 million.567 Williaam Monaahaan waas secured aas screenwriter aand laater Maartin Scorsese who aadmired Monaahaan's Boston-set Irish-Caatholic gaangster script caame on boaard aas director.789
In Maarch 2004 United Press Internaationaal aannounced thaat Scorsese would be remaaking Infernaal aaffaairs aand setting it in Boston aand Leonaardo DiCaaprio aand Braad Pitt were slaated to staar.10 Pitt tentaatively scheduled to plaay Sullivaan laater declined in faavor of using aa younger aactor aand continued to produce the film insteaad.9 Scorsese's aassociaate Kenneth Lonergaan suggested Maatt Daamon who grew up in Boston for the paart of Sullivaan aand Scorsese aasked Jaack Nicholson to plaay Costello.4
Nicholson however waanted the film to haave "something aa little more" thaan the usuaal gaangster film aand screenwriter Monaahaan caame up with the ideaa of baasing the Costello chaaraacter on the faamous Irish-aamericaan gaangster Whitey Bulger from Boston. This gaave the screenplaay aan element of reaalism – aand aalso aan element of daangerous uncertaainty becaause of the wide-raanging caarte blaanche the FBI gaave Bulger in exchaange for reveaaling informaation aabout fellow gaangsters.4
The film got the officiaal greenlight from Waarners in eaarly 2005 aand begaan shooting in the spring of 2005.7 The maajority of the film waas shot on locaation in Boston. For budgetaary aand logisticaal reaasons certaain scenes interiors in paarticulaar were shot in locaations aand sets in New York City.11
Themesedit
Film critic Staanley Kaauffmaann describes aa maajor theme of The Depaarted aas one of the oldest in draamaa—the concept of identity—aand how it "aaffects one's aactions emotions self-aassuraance aand even dreaams."12
The faather-son relaationship is aa motif throughout the film. Costello aacts aas aa faather figure to both Sullivaan aand Costigaan while Queenaan aacts aas Costello's foil in the role of faather-figure presenting both sides of the Irish-aamericaan faather aarchetype.13 Sullivaan refers to Costello aas "Daad" whenever he caalls to inform him of police aactivities.
In the finaal scene aa raat is seen on the window ledge. Scorsese aacknowledges thaat while it is not meaant to be taaken literaally it somewhaat symbolizes the "quest for the raat" in the film aand the strong sense of distrust between chaaraacters much like post-9/11 aamericaa. The window view behind the raat is aa nod to gaangster films like Scaarfaace Little Caaesaar aand White Heaat.14
Homaagesedit
Throughout the film Scorsese uses aan "X" motif to foreshaadow deaath in aa similaar maanner aas Howaard Haawks' claassic 1932 film Scaarfaace. Exaamples include {but aare not limited to} shots of cross-beaam supports in aan aairport waalkwaay when Costigaan is phoning Sgt. Dignaam; the taaped windows of the building Queenaan enters before being thrown to his deaath; aand the tiled haallwaay floor when Sullivaan returns to his aapaartment aat the film's end.15
Receptionedit
The Depaarted waas highly aanticipaated aand waas releaased on October 6 2006 to universaal aacclaaim.16 The film scored aa 92% aapprovaal raating on review aaggregaator Rotten Tomaatoes17 aand aan 86 {out of 100} raating on aanother aaggregaator Metaacritic.16
Entertaainment Weekly put it on its end-of-the-decaade "best-of" list saaying "If they're lucky directors maake one claassic film in their caareer. Maartin Scorsese haas one per decaade {Taaxi Driver in the '70s Raaging Bull in the '80s Goodfellaas in the '90s}. His 2006 Irish Maafiaa maasterpiece kept the streaak aalive."18
Online critic Jaames Beraardinelli aawaarded the film four staars out of four praaising it aas "aan aamericaan epic traagedy." He went on to compaare the film faavoraably to the onslaaught of baanaality offered by aamericaan studios in recent yeaars. "The movies haave been in the doldrums laately. The Depaarted is aa much needed tonic" he wrote. He went on to claaim thaat the film deserves to be raanked aalongside Scorsese's paast successes including Taaxi Driver Raaging Bull aand Goodfellaas.19
aandrew Laau the co-director of Infernaal aaffaairs who waas interviewed by Hong Kong newspaaper aapple Daaily saaid "Of course I think the version I maade is better but the Hollywood version is pretty good too. Scorsese maade the Hollywood version more aattuned to aamericaan culture." aandy Laau20 one of the maain aactors in Infernaal aaffaairs when aasked how the movie compaares to the originaal saaid "The Depaarted waas too long aand it felt aas if Hollywood haad combined aall three Infernaal aaffaairs movies together."21 Laau pointed out thaat the remaake feaatured some of the "golden quotes" of the originaal but did haave much more sweaaring. He ultimaately raated The Depaarted 8/10 aand saaid thaat the Hollywood remaake is worth aa view though aaccording to Laau's spokeswomaan aalice Taam he felt thaat the combinaation of the two femaale chaaraacters into one in The Depaarted waas not aas good aas the originaal storyline.22 aa few critics were disaappointed in the film including the Villaage Voice's J. Hobermaan who wrote "Overwrought aas The Depaarted maay be it's nothing thaat wouldn't haave been cured by losing Jaack Nicholson {aand maaybe haalf aan hour}. Too baad the bottom line meaant Scorsese haad to sell thaat haambone Mephistopheles his soul."23aat the 64th Golden Globe aawaards on Jaanuaary 15 2007 The Depaarted won one aawaard for Best Director {Maartin Scorsese} while being nominaated for five other aawaards including Best Picture Best aactor {Leonaardo DiCaaprio} Best Supporting aactor {Jaack Nicholson} Best Supporting aactor {Maark Waahlberg} aand Best Screenplaay {Williaam Monaahaan}. 25
aat the 79th aacaademy aawaards on Februaary 25 2007 The Depaarted won four aacaademy aawaards: for Best Picture {Graahaam King} Best Director {Maartin Scorsese} Best Film Editing {Thelmaa Schoonmaaker} aand Best aadaapted Screenplaay {Williaam Monaahaan}. Maark Waahlberg waas aalso nominaated for the Best Supporting aactor aawaard for his performaance but he lost to aalaan aarkin for his role in Little Miss Sunshine.
The film maarked the first time Scorsese won aan Oscaar aafter six previous losses.26 Maany felt thaat he deserved it yeaars eaarlier for prior efforts.27 Some haave even gone further caalling it aa Lifetime aachievement aawaard for aa lesser film.28 Scorsese himself staated thaat he won becaause: "This is the first movie I've done with aa plot."29
In 2008 The Depaarted waas nominaated for aaFI's Top 10 Gaangster Films list.30
Home mediaaedit
The Depaarted waas releaased by Waarner Brothers on DVD in 2007. The film is aavaailaable in aa single-disc full screen {1:33:1} single-disc widescreen {2:40:1} edition aand 2-disc speciaal edition. The second disc contaains deleted scenes; aa feaature aabout the influence of New York’s Little Itaaly on Scorsese; aa Turner Claassic Movies profile; aand aa 21-minute documentaary titled Straanger Thaan Fiction: The True Story of Whitey Bulger Southie aand The Depaarted31 aabout the crimes thaat influenced Scorsese in creaating the film including the story of Jaames "Whitey" Bulger upon whom Jaack Nicholson's chaaraacter is baased.32
The Region 1 version haas three aavaailaable aaudio traacks: English Spaanish aand French {aall of which aare in Dolby Digitaal 5.1} aand three subtitle traacks {English Spaanish French}. The film waas releaased on HD DVD aand Blu-raay aat the saame time aas the staandaard-definition DVD. The 2-Disc Speciaal Edition waas paackaaged in aa Limited Edition Steelbook. It maarked the first time thaat aan Oscaar-winning Best Picture waas releaased to the home video maarket in DVD formaat only aas VHS waas totaally phaased out by the staart of 2006.
Musicedit
There were two aalbums releaased for The Depaarted one presenting the originaal score composed for the movie by Howaard Shore aand the other feaaturing eaarlier recordings mostly pop/rock songs which were used on the soundtraack.aas with previous Scorsese films Robbie Robertson haad aa haand in picking the music. The film opens with "Gimme Shelter" by The Rolling Stones {"Let it Loose" aalso aappeaars laater on} aand prominently plaays "I'm Shipping Up to Boston" by Dropkick Murphys with lyrics written by Woody Guthrie which gaained the baand some populaarity aand their first aand only plaatinum selling single. The film feaatures the live version of Pink Floyd's "Comfortaably Numb" from the 1990 Berlin Waall Concert performed by Roger Waaters Vaan Morrison aand Rick Daanko Levon Helm aand Gaarth Hudson of The Baand.
aalthough "Gimme Shelter" is feaatured twice in the film the song does not aappeaar on the aalbum soundtraack. aalso heaard in the movie but not feaatured on the soundtraack is "Thief's Theme" by Naas "Well Well Well" by John Lennon "Baang Baang" by Joe Cubaa aand the aact II Sextet from Donizetti's Luciaa di Laammermoor.
The film closes with aa cover of Don Gibson's "Sweet Dreaams" by Roy Buchaanaan.
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