“The Departed”
Director Martin Scorsese
Warner Bros. Pictures
Some of Martin Scorsese’s greatest work (see: “Mean
Streets,” “Goodfellas” and “Gangs of New
York”) revolves around mobs, violence and the constant
striving for the American dream on dark city streets. The veteran
director’s latest work, “The Departed,” is yet
another strong example to add to the list. Featuring major
Hollywood players such as Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon and Jack
Nicholson, the acting is excellent, but story and style also help
this film stand out. “The Departed” follows two young
men in the middle of city police training: the shooting practices,
the physical endurance tests and finally, their respective
graduations and entrance into the Boston Police Department.
However, their paths soon veer in very different directions. One
(DiCaprio) is promoted to the state’s Special Investigation
Unit. The other (Damon) is charged with a felony, dropped from the
department, and sent to prison. The men are two sides of the same
coin. DiCaprio’s character is the product of the dangerous
and crime-filled streets of South Boston with the drive to rise
above his infamous family. Damon’s is the prodigal almost-son
of the Irish-American gang lord (Nicholson) keeping crime in the
streets and the cops on the watch. The story explores the
pair’s struggles and challenges as one lies his way into the
mafia lifestyle he has avoided his whole life and the other sneaks
his way into the top tier of state police officials in order to
keep an eye out of for his mentor. While the characters’
trails of deceptions may seem hard to follow, the script is smooth
and contains a few welcome surprises necessary to truly captivate
over two and a half hours. Unfortunately, like most Scorsese
pictures, this movie seems twice that length, but the final
confrontation between Damon and DiCaprio’s characters makes
the lull worthwhile. Credit also goes to Scorsese’s master
eye. Intriguing camerawork adds another layer to the developing
story lines. Scorsese’s depiction of Boston is beautiful,
brutal and, above all, honest (the “˜Southies’ vs. the
North Shore). The premise may paint the film similar to so many of
the mafia movies, con films and undercover dramas saturating the
entertainment market. But with Scorsese at the helm, “The
Departed” truly delivers.
E-mail Stanhope at kstanhope@media.ucla.edu