The wagyu beef of the film world

Rating: 10/10 (7 May 2020)

The opening scene sets the tone for the rest of the movie; The Rolling Stones 'Gimme Shelter' plays in the background as we are first introduced to Nicholson's character and his philosophy of life. He imprints his worldview on an impressionable young boy, stripping him of his faith and grooming him to be his eyes and ears within the police force.
DiCaprio's character is the antithesis of the a-moralistic behaviour Costello condones, and as he wages deeper into the world of crime, his sanity is tested. DiCaprio's race to uncover the mole who jeopardises his identity and indeed his life is truly nail-biting.
Jack Nicholson's performance is electrifying, perhaps soaring higher than his role as Jack Torrance in The Shining. (Particularly in the scene where he enacts a rat gnawing at cheese)
The final scenes & the comedic reference to the rat which scurries along the building is one of the reasons why this film delivers on every level. Complex, with multiple plot twists, The Departed is hands down one of the best crime/thrillers.
Just wanted to end with this quote, which I think is extremely powerful/thought-provoking... "When I was your age, they would say, we could become cops or criminals. Today what I'm saying to you is this; when faced with a loaded gun, what's the difference?"