Another voice comparing the two

Rating: 8/10 (18 March 2007)

I managed to see both "Infernal Affairs" (hereafter "Mou gaan dou") and "The Departed" in one sitting and would like to compare them. To start, I would give them the same rating (8) and praise them equally. But the strengths are uneven.
What follows is TOTAL SPOILER and meant only for others who have seen both.
* Religion In Mou gaan dou, the mob boss Sam is religious. He indirectly attributes his success to his faith and ties in the disciples through a ritual of loyalty. He rules by this ingrained sense of loyalty and is never portrayed as fearful. In Departed, mob boss Frank rules entirely through fear, violence and intimidation. He caps this off with utter contempt for the Church. Who would stay loyal to a guy like that?
* Class The Departed's greatest strength is in the in-depth analysis of the class conflict in New England's Irish community. References to "lace-curtains" and "shanties" is an allusion to long-standing symbolism of this conflict. This was a compelling introduction to the characters that Mou gaan dou left out, and went very far to explaining their motivations.
* Language The language in Mou gaan dou is richly oblique ("At least I am not afraid to let the sun shine on me" says Yan toward the end.) and only occasionally rough. The language in Departed is relentlessly coarse and filled with coarse metaphors, puns and references. The language in each fits with the consistent tone of the acting. The two main spooks are cool in Mou gaan dou, and nearly hysterical in Departed.
* Overall The Departed's beginning was utterly brilliant, far outclassing Mou Gaan Dou. But the high level of violence in Departed wore thin on me. By the time of the big bust, I felt that Mou gaan dou leaped ahead in crafting a complex drama that was not just another shoot-em-up. The cat-and-mouse chase between the spooks was FAR more compelling in Mou gaan dou, and the last scene in Departed proved that not even Scorcese can avoid the demands to give 'em a happy ending.