Scorcese's defining moment

Rating: 10/10 (12 October 2006)

It's no surprise by now that Martin Scorscese has long since lived the bill as one of Hollywood's greatest directors never to have won the Oscar for best director. Like Kubrick or Hitchcock before him, Scorcese has never been able to persuade the Academy with his amazing visual accomplishments. Not that this means very much seeing that anyone who knows anything knows the Academy voters have always been weak minded. With the exception of Citizen Kane, the biggest example being in 1981 when Best Picture and Best Director went to Ordinary People, instead of Raging Bull. No offense to Robert Redford but Martin Scorcese got robbed. However history itself can now be changed, with the release of The Departed.
The Departed quite simply is Martin Scorsese's masterpiece. It is a remake based on the Chinese film Infernal Affairs about a cop who infiltrates the mob only to discover that there is a mole within the police system putting his life in serious jeopardy. Leornardo DiCaprio portrays the undercover cop delivering a riveting and ultra mature performance as his character throughout the film unfolds in never understanding completely who he is. Jack is just being Jack as the lead gangster in a role tailored only for himself. Matt Damon gives a convincing turn as the mole always manipulative as his characters life is all one lie. With Mark Wahlburg showing that cursing has never been so hilarious, and Martin Sheen along Alec Baldwin contributing impressive veteran presences, this film has it all. As a roller-coaster from beginning to end, this film delivers the goods on a scale never imagined. Scorsese has really scored big here as it shows this is the film he was born to make. Complemented by a brilliant screenplay the film kind of runs at you with the substance of what Donnie Brasco could have been mixed with what Goodfellas really was.