The man has done it again

Rating: 9/10 (28 October 2006)

The man has done it again. If there is any director who is the undisputed master of the crime genre, it is Martin Scorsese hands down. Not because his films are campy examples of the genre, and not because they take and break the rules. What makes Scorsese's crime movies, and The Departed as a particular standout example, is how incredibly matter-of-fact they are. Frank Costello isn't a caricature. Jack Nicholson plays him with much intensity, but he never, ever treads Vito Corleone or Marcellus Wallace territory. Costello is just a man who happens to be a foul-mouthed gangster  no more, no less. Costigan is just a young man who is extremely confused about loyalty. Sullivan is just a young man who stands by his loyalty but gets dragged down by his weaknesses. Dignam is a man who compensates for his lacking physical stature with fierce determination. Queenan is a wise father figure. The point of this breakdown is to emphasize that all of these are characters. They never become caricatures, exaggerations, and depictions. They all exist in all three dimensions, round as a billiard ball. As with his previous films, Scorsese never needs to emphasize the setting. Sure, since it is a contemporary film he doesn't need to indulge in period details. But the whole Boston setting is extremely well executed in that Scorsese never emphasizes it. It simply is. It is in this sense that Scorsese is so successful in his film-making. Because he doesn't indulge himself in excessive details. His focus is entirely on his storytelling. And this focus pays off greatly.
The plot is thick as a brick. The initial concept of a police mole in the mob and a mob mole in the police department, both of which pretty much need to find themselves, is fascinating and brilliant. But there is so much more than the simple premise. The film is rich with paradoxical details and mind-bending deadlocks. The dynamics, parallels, and general unfolding of events are as rich as they are fascinating. And as the film reaches its unforeseeable climax, we see what all the anticipation was for.
From a technical standpoint, Scorsese utilizes a style reminiscent of Taxi Driver. It isn't exactly minimalist, but it is certainly gritty and down to earth. There is no fancy lighting, no elaborate sets or costumes. Everything is extremely realistic and down to earth. Scorsese also expertly uses music in the film, both pop songs and Howard Shore's original score, NEVER to emphasize or warp the audience but simply as a setting. If there are two technical aspects that must be emphasized, it is the cinematography and the editing. Scorsese has always been known as a master of the camera, and what makes him such a master isn't being a show-off, but in his restraint. The camera angles and movements are brilliant and dazzling, without taking front stage. It all serves the story. The editing by Thelma Schoonmaker, longtime Scorsese collaborator, is definitely the most amazing technical aspect of the film. It blew my mind. I seriously can't think of any director that can better string together a series of shots in a more meaningful and expert way. The editing in this film should win awards. It's just incredible.
But utilizing the film medium is just part of Scorsese's brilliance. He is also a notoriously good director of actors. And with an all-star cast most other directors would kill to get, Scorsese already has a great starting point from which his actors can take the dive and start bouncing. And bounce they do. Every performance builds on and off the other performances. Nobody ever overplays anyone else, it's an extremely expert use of an ensemble. This movie further supports the claim that that the Academy should desperately include a "best ensemble cast performance" category in the Oscars. Nicholson dominates the film; Sheen and Baldwin, the other veterans, expertly deliver fantastic supporting performances. But the real stunners are the younger cast members. DiCaprio was incredible and came across as extremely convincing and very intense as a gritty street character. Then again, Scorsese definitely knows how to direct the man - I still think his performance in The Aviator deserved the Oscar. Mark Wahlberg, a very hit-and-miss actor, is definitely in the hit territory - his aggressive police lieutenant character is expertly, expertly played. But the real standout is Matt Damon. I knew this guy could act - just see Good Will Hunting or The Talented Mr. Ripley for proof. But at THIS caliber? I had no idea he had it in him. The intensity, the drama, the accent - Damon nails it all. He deserves more recognition as a talent and less as a crowd-drawing name as he does today.
I resent calling this a "return to form" for Scorsese, because I personally found his last film, The Aviator, to be just as brilliant as Scorsese's other masterpieces. But this is definitely another entry in one of the most masterful filmographies of any director working today. It's great to see that Scorsese, like fellow director Steven Spielberg and quite unlike fellow directors Brian DePalma and George Lucas, remains a strong and consistent directorial force, and hasn't at all lost his touch. He's still a master of his craft, and does his thing better than anyone else.