THE DEPARTED

US, 2006, 151 minutes, Colour.
Leonardo di Caprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg, Martin Sheen, Ray Winstone, Vera Farmiga, Anthony Anderson, Alec Baldwin, Kevin Corrigan, David O' Hara.
Directed by Martin Scorsese.

In years to come, this will probably be considered one of the best films of 2006. (Several months after this review, The Departed won the Oscar for Best Film, Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay.)

After the production upsets of Gangs of New York and the not-always-gripping The Aviator, Martin Scorsese is back in top form. Yes, it is something of a variation on his favourite themes of gangsters, corruption and police, but it is a vivid and lively variation, excellent on all counts.

The starting point is the Hong Kong police thriller with the deadly play on words title, Infernal Affairs. William Monahan has adapted this powerful and popular film (rather than a simple re-make) and set it in Boston. The city itself comes alive with the different settings: police precincts, affluent apartments, mob hangouts and the streets themselves. Yes, there are mean streets in Boston too.

This version of Infernal Affairs is easier to follow than the original. A prologue establishes Frank Costello as a gangster chief over twenty years: protection rackets, moving into drug deals and then trading high tech military equipment. He is kind to the neighbourhood lads, one in particular, Colin Sullivan, who is indebted to him so that when he graduates as a police officer, he is Costello’s informant in the service.

In the meantime, Bill Costigan, who has had a tough upbringing in South Boston is persuaded to go undercover, deep cover, to target Costello. The screenplay dramatises the close parallels between the two men, their false identities, the contacts, the dangers. It creates fine dramatic tension, especially since the screenplay is so well written. It is also more character driven than action driven which gives the portraits of the two men greater depth.

Martin Scorsese is one of the best director craftsmen in the United States and has surrounded himself with strong talent in photography, production design and editing for many films. He has assembled them again.

But no review would be complete without an acknowledgement of the marvellous performances he has drawn from all his cast. As we watch Jack Nicholson as the charmingly vicious and sleazy Frank Costello, we appreciate why he has won such acclaim and awards. It is a masterly characterisation, a personification of evil, often with a smiling face, which gradually overreaches itself and unravel.

Leonardo di Caprio is Bill. Matt Damon is Colin. They have proven themselves for over ten years as two of the best American actors of their times. Di Caprio has the more straightforward role as the good man acting violent yet he too is subtle in communicating the anguish, the fears, the loss of identity of the man who is asked to live a lie and betrayal for the sake of a greater good.

Matt Damon has to act charming, respectable and efficient as a cover for growing ambition, treachery and Shakespeare’s dictum that one can smile and still be a villain. His too is a subtle performance, an intelligent interpretation of duplicity.

There is an alarmingly fine cameo from Mark Wahlberg as an extremely rough mouthed officer who plays bad cop in interviews with potential undercover police while Martin Sheen brings his authoritative but genial persona as the head of the department. Alec Baldwin is also very strong as the officer in charge of action, frustrated because of the leaks from his squad.

The world of gangsters is a world that none of us would like to be close to. It is a tough, immoral, cruel and exploitative world. It has to be combated by dedicated men who can withstand temptation to corruption and who have to wage war on the gangsters on gangster terms. The Departed is a powerful reminder of this world.

The writer drew on his Catholic background for the title, The Departed, the faithful departed. However, he said this film is a portrait of the world of the faithless departed.

1. The acclaim for the film? Scorsese's work? His tradition of police and gangster films? A gangster film of the 21st century?

2. The use of the city of Boston, South Boston, the locations, precincts, upmarket apartments, downmarket areas, buildings, streets? An authentic atmosphere? The image of the dome for the House of Justice - with the Rat at the end? The musical score, the range of songs?

3. The title, the Catholic tradition of the faithful departed as the dead? The screenwriter's comment on the faithless departed? The Catholic tradition in Boston? Irish and Italians? The two funeral sequences?

4. The film as an adaptation of a Hong Kong film? Undercover police work, traitors, bosses, the police, the FBI? Making the film and its story particularly American?

5. The opening, the twenty years earlier, the video footage, life in Boston, Frank Costello and his comments, his rule, seeing him larger than life? His language, not politically correct, observations on niggers? Sardonic, supremely self-confident? Walking around, demanding protection money, his attraction towards the girl and taking her in, seeing Colin as a twelve-year-old, looking after him, the gifts, the money, offering him a job? The transition to Colin twenty years later?

6. The 21st century gangster groups, the Mafia in Providence, the Irish in Boston, the comments about the Knights of Columbus? The Catholic background, the Catholic mobs? The tone,
protection money, leading to drug deals, leading to the robbing of Hi-Tech? Frank Costello and his ruthlessness, the scene of him shooting people, the couple falling the wrong way, the various corpses, his laugh, the comment that he should see a psychiatrist? The psychopath – charming but amoral?

7. The structure of the film and the parallel between Colin and Bill, their backgrounds, the structure of the film and the training, Dignam and the two interviews, their different backgrounds,
ambitions - or not? Their taking up their jobs? Their appearances on the surface, not what they seemed, violent and non-violent? Lies and deception, betrayal? The effect of the life on each, promotion versus pills? The two relationships with Madolyn, the interactions, trust? Their discovering each other, survival, the meeting, the violent confrontation, the using of Madolyn for messages, deaths?

8. Jack Nicholson as Frank Costello, his age, the thrill of being in power, the Nicholson moments of Mania, his remarks, the Rat's, with Mr French, relying on him, his other underlings, the variety of jobs, the deal with the Chinese and the Hi-Tech? (and their later arrest)? His outbursts of violence, sexual behaviour? Seeing him at the opera - and the women and the drugs? The processes and the deals? The interviews with Bill, smashing his arm to test him? Believing him, using him, being a father figure? With French and the others? His different ways of contacting Colin, the phone calls, Colin and the warnings? Costello's way of life, the pressures, the police after him, beginning to unravel, some signs of madness? His testing Bill? Meeting Colin in the porno theatre? The final set-up, the betrayal, Colin's warning, the phone call and his hearing the phone ringing in the warehouse, the confrontation with Colin, Colin's despising of him, his comments about his impotence and father -figure, shooting him?

9. Queenan and Dignam, the roles of the good cop, bad cop, the interviews of candidates for undercover work, Dignam and his language and Queenan's comment about his style, the attitude towards each of them? Queenan wanting to employ Bill? Dignam and his rough style, testing them? Their working with Ellerby, the aims, the contacts and the meetings, keeping their undercover men confidential? The issue of the betrayal? Queenan and his meeting with Bill, Dignam and his continuing his role yet supporting Bill? The contacts, Queenan having Bill at his house, the meal? Queenan and his death? Dignam and his anger, leaving? Queenan as the good man, paternal, the phone contacts, his welcoming Bill at home, on the train, the tail, Washington Street, the discussion on the roof, his death? Dignam's resignation and anger?

10. Matt Damon's portrait of Colin, in his training, graduation, at work, his gift from Frank at the graduation? The promotions, the reactions of the other members of the squad? His partner and cynicism? On the job, the squad, Costello's aims, the phone warnings, the meetings? His relationship with Madolyn, the discussion in the elevator, taking her out, the meal, smooth, the lies, the phone calls and his passing them off? His being promoted to search for the traitor in the squad? The information about Costello's men - and the envelope with the misspelling of 'citizen'? His dealings with Ellerby and Ellerby praising him? The meeting with Costello in the porn theatre, his exit, Bill following him, his waiting and stabbing the Chinese by mistake? The surveillance camera and his checking on the film? The break with Madolyn after her moving in, his comments on her photos? Madolyn as pregnant, his reaction? The night of the raid, his contacting Costello, the confrontation at the warehouse, his comments against Costello, shooting him? His meeting Bill in the office, the citizen envelope, his realising the truth, deleting Bill's file from the computer? Praising him, the agreement to meet, Bill's death? His going home, coming home with the shopping - and his being shot by Dignam?

11. Leonardo di Caprio's portrait of Bill, at the academy, his friendship with Brown, the interview with Queenan and Dignam? The insults, his standing his ground, the truth about himself and his parents, his father's role, the double life? Queenan as an alternate father figure? The plan, the assault and his going to prison, his prison term, getting out, the protection issue, his defending the man in the shop, bashing the protection racketeers? Costello meeting him in the bar, testing him? His aim in working with Costello, following him, meeting the gang, Mr French and his seeing Bill's violence? His being present at the different jobs, the selling of the processors to the Chinese? His talking with Frank, the effect on his life, the pressures, taking more pills? The interviews with Madolyn, their discussions, his being cheeky, desperate for the pills, her giving them to him? A growing relationship, out with her, the trust, getting closer, the sexual encounter? Costello and his speech about rats, testing Bill? Bill and his meetings with Queenan and Dignam, at his home, on the train, eluding the tail, on the roof, his escape, the shoot-out, Queenan's death? The gangster dying and recognising him as the rat because of the wrong address? The information about the destination for the final set-up? His going out the back door? His coming in, talking with Colin, being recognised and praised? His seeing the citizen envelope and memories of correcting the spelling? His file being deleted? The visit to Madolyn, the tapes, her playing them? His plan, the gun, the meeting on the roof, his suddenly being shot? An intelligent man, his motives for doing his undercover work? His desperately wanting to regain his identity?

12. Alby, his management of the squad, seeing himself as efficient and effective, praising Colin? The pursuit of Costello? The briefings, the betrayals, the failure of the video surveillance at the deal with the Chinese? With Colin and trusting him?

13. The various members of the police staff and squad, Colin's partner, suspicions, the meetings, the investigations, the failures of the raids on Costello? Queenan, his keeping his squad secret? The shoot-out, the finale, the congratulations for Bill - and the honours at his funeral?

14. Madolyn, her psychology work, her work of service for the state, her being charmed by Colin, going out with him, the relationship, the months, moving in, her pregnancy? Her professional life, seeing Bill, the wariness, giving him the pills, their meeting, his trusting her? The visit, the sexual relationship? The break with Colin? Bill entrusting the envelope to her? Her listening to the tapes? Her walking past Colin at the funeral?

15. The Mob killers, Mr French, his character, his loyalty to Costello, his final crash and death? Fitzy, Dellahunty, their loyalties, Fitzy in custody, his being interviewed by Colin
pretending to be the lawyer?

16. The religious background, Boston, the church, the glimpses of priests and nuns, the aspects of sexual abuse in Boston and the references? The funerals? The issues of theology, faith and belief?

17. The strength of the dialogue, the wit, the crudity, insight? The film as character driven rather than action driven?

18. The final image of the dome and the rat?