Masterpiece

Rating: 10/10 (14 October 2006)

Just got back from a second viewing of Scorsese's latest, and this time was even better than the last. The script is excellent -- this is a well crafted movie that deals with the themes of greed, trust, and deceit. "Man is a political animal" said Aristotle. This film plays with that idea - it's survival of the fittest out there and man's pride can get the best of him if he's not careful. Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon) is clearly blinded by his own greed in this film -- he basically drools when he looks on the great gold dome of the capital building here in Boston. The dome is a motif that sums up the movie well - it is always looming in the background, it's glimmering gold a clear metaphor for the material benefits that men like Sullivan and Costello (Nicholson) desire. All deceive in this movie, even the "good guys". There is miscommunication galore - everyone withholds information from everyone else, even within the departments of the police.
The acting is absolutely perfect in this movie. Hands down the best role I have ever seen DiCaprio perform. He is stellar - he encapsulates the fear, frustration, and grit of his Billy Costigan. We completely identify with him, and when he meets his end we feel as if we have met our end. It would be naive of me to say that he will definitely win best actor because one never knows the intricacies (or idiocies) of the academy, but I do believe he deserves it for such a sensational job. Not far behind him is the supporting cast, most notably Mark Wahlberg and Alec Baldwin. Wahlberg plays the "bad cop" of the good cop bad cop duo and is an honorable officer who does his job well. He says to an incompetent character, "I'm the guy who does his job, you must be the other guy!" Although he's in a small amount of scenes, he steals them all. The born and raised Boston accent adds to his durable character that doesn't ever flex. He would rather resign than compromise his principles and his devotion to his superior (Martin Sheen, also played well). Lastly, Alec Baldwin seems to have perfected the wise- cracking, vulgar yet efficient boss role as the police chief. The dialogue in the movie is excellent, and he seems to have some of the best lines - every time he speaks he gets a laugh (unquotable for this paper).
It is clear that Costigan (DiCaprio) and Sullivan are foils of each other, "two sides of the same coin". They have the same task - to relay the actions of the other side. They have the same contacts, but with dual purposes. They even sleep with the same girl. It is no coincidence that Scorsese picks two virtually identical actors to play the parts. He is commenting on the dual nature of man, the antagonistic light and dark. On one side, greed, deceit, and vanity and on the other decency, integrity, and "merit". Scorsese shows their contrasting characters through their relationship with Gwen (Vera Farmiga) -- Sullivan at one point refuses to even look at a picture of her in adolescence before stowing it away with the sorry, vain excuse that "We may have company" and that "You don't see where I come from". Costigan, on the other hand, warmly embraces the picture and hangs it on her wall when he sees it. Later on, when Billy gives Gwen an envelope and instructs her not to open it, she does as he asks and leaves it sealed. Yet she can't resist opening the package sent to Sullivan. Costigan and Gwen have a relationship of sincerity and trust, whereas Sullivan cannot be trusted - he obscures his past, his true identity, and strives off his lies for his own personal ascension with blind eyes on the gold dome.
The Departed is about men who have gone off their predetermined path. The departures are both negative and positive, whether the characters have departed from a life of faith and honesty (Sullivan) or departed from a family history of crime towards the honorable, good path (Costigan). It is about men who have departed from their true identities to play theatrical roles. They then must re-search for themselves - "I have to find myself" says Sullivan. "All I want is my identity back" says Costigan. Scorsese comments on how most of us in the everyday world lead a double life, often playing more than one part for societal and political expediency - "It's a nation of rats" says French, Costello's right-hand man. The Departed is a movie that kept me on the edge of my seat through two viewings. Not to mention one scene that is an excellent homage to one of my favorite movies, The Third Man (the funeral). Marty, I hope this is the one, you've certainly deserved it.