The Departed

Martin Scorsese's The Departed (2006) is an American reimagining of the Hong Kong action classic Infernal Affairs (2002). It is recommended that interested parties in Scorsese's film first seek out the original, since it bears all the same strengths and weaknesses of this version, and has a better account of honor, loyalty, and justice (although these ideals remain far more implicit in IA). In contrast, Scorsese's version articulates these ideals more, but reimagines a central character in ways that differentiate the film from the original.

The idea behind the film is masterful, which is largely why Hollywood was so interested in grabbing the rights up from the HK studio. A police mole Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio) has infiltrated Boston crime lord Frank Costello's (Jack Nicholson) gang. Meanwhile, Costello has placed his own mole in the police force, Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon). As both crime lord and police chief work to counter the other's mole, Costigan and Sullivan begin to be caught in the crossfire, questioning their loyalties to their initial boss. To discuss more takes much of the suspense away, so mum's the word on the story from here on out.

There's something operatic and grandiose about the way both IA and The Departed deal with the execution of characters. Throughout the film, we understand that Costigan either has to extricate himself from his crime life or that he will be consumed by it. Here, unlike in the original IA, Costigan falls for the psychiatrist Madolyn (Vera Farmiga), the same woman that Sullivan has romanced. While it doesn't really damage the film, since this act of desire further substantiates how the two men are doubles of each other, the relationship still feels a little too obligatory and stilted.

The dynamics of the film change toward the end, when one of the assumes a different persona than the original Infernal Affairs. This change actually works quite effectively (the original characterization is probably more in tune with HK ideals of honor and justice than U.S. ideals of honor and justice). As a result, it allows the ending to puncture simpler ideas of justice, showing a man who surrenders to death rather than exhibit any signs of resistence. He has been crushed, mentally and spiritually, for he has betrayed everything true about himself.

This is a film that is certainly worth viewing; the dialogue is amazingly Mametian, the violence is splashy yet moralistic, and Scorsese shows that he can transform a genre film to high art, just as the original Infernal Affairs was high art.

The Departed: 9.5/10