A Cinematic Masterpiece

Rating: 10/10 (21 April 2011)

I thought that this movie was extremely good. The action filled plot kept me attentive throughout the whole movie, and the actors played believable roles that helped carry along the movies plot. This movie had many strong points such as directing, cinematography, editing, and the soundtrack. There were a few small weaknesses in the movie that most critics overlook, but the pros outweigh the cons. Overall, I greatly enjoyed this movie, and I think it is one of the best movies of all time.
I thought that the Cinematography and Editing in this movie was very good. The dark, grainy camera shots perfectly describe South Boston, and the different symbolic camera shots, such as the rat crawling across the balcony in the end, make this movie watchable ten times over. The sideways camera zooms on the main characters, like in the scene where Captain Ellerby and Sergeant Dignam are talking back and forth; highlighting the main characters, and making you feel like you are there with the characters. The quick camera flashes during fighting and chase scenes keep your heart rate up during the movie, and they greatly help to keep you interested throughout the movie. The editing in the movie is pretty good, but there were some scenes that seemed unnecessary, like the scene where Costello his talking to his semi-love interest while snorting cocaine. The movie is over an hour and thirty minutes long, which is tough to fit in a single night of movie watching.
The acting in the Departed is excellent. It has a very strong cast, and some new actors that really seem to shine in this movie. It seems like every role in the movie greatly contributes to the movie throughout, and that great detail went into creating every one of these characters. Leonardo DiCaprio plays William Costigan, a bright young detective who wants to be a cop and nothing else. DiCaprio is excellent throughout the movie. He has to master a South and North side of Boston accent, because his character is a cop in the North but an undercover gangster in the South. He perfectly interprets his dark, moody character, and successfully reveals all of the stresses in his role that go with being an undercover agent. I think that it was his best performance since What's Eating Gilbert Grape? and he proves once again why he is regarded as one of the best actors in Hollywood. His performance feels extremely natural, and shows his overall quality as an actor. Another great actor in this movie is Jack Nicholson. Nicholson is an extremely famous actor known for his roles in movies such as One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, A Few Good Men, and Chinatown. Nicholson, in my opinion, does the best acting in this movie. Nicholson plays the hardcore gangster Frank Costello, a man who has no moral limits. Nicholson successfully portrays a crazy old guy, and captures the audience with his stellar performance of the role. His witty but dark comedy also makes the movie a lot more enjoyable. Nicholson shows once again why he is one of the best in the business.
The Soundtrack in The Departed is one of the best I have ever heard in my life. Artists such as The Rolling Stones, The Allman Brothers, The Dropkick Murphys, and John Lennon make this movie what it is. One of the best scenes in the movie is where Costigan is riding with Costello and the gang and the song I'm Shipping Up To Boston is playing. This song's traditional Irish sound makes this scene, and other songs like this one help make the movie so wonderful. The Sound Effects in the movie are also brilliant. Sudden crashes and noises during scenes keep the audience alert at all times. Different cell phone rings tell you what character the cell phone belongs to, so you know instantly if that character is in an ordeal. Overall, the sound effects in this movie are great, and they help turn this movie into the masterpiece it is.
The directing in this movie is very good. Martin Scorsese, one of the best directors of all time, masterfully handcrafts this movie into what it is. Many details in this movie make it what it is, and the extreme importance of these details help guide the story. Scorsese once again makes another gangster movie, but he makes this movie so much different from his other movies that you don't even associate it with being a Scorsese movie. This movie has a lot of twist and turns, unlike Scorsese's other movies with very solid, unmoving story lines. One problem I had with the directing of this movie is that Scorsese doesn't do a very good job of creating a love interest within the movie. The main girl in the movie, Sullivan's girlfriend, cheats on Sullivan with Costigan. This scene is very symbolic, but you feel almost no attachment to this woman character. Besides this, Scorsese does a wonderful job portraying the South side of Boston, and makes a wonderful and thrilling movie that gets better every time you watch it.