Martin Scorcese's The Departed is a modern gangster drama masterpiece

Rating: 10/10 (21 December 2015)

No director has boasted a stricter understanding of the gangster genre than Martin Scorcese, at least not yet. His filmography dating back to 'Goodfellas' and 'Casino' greatly prove this. We have seen a devilishly gritty portrayal of Henry Hill in the former movie, we have seen the portrayal of a crime family caught in the hazardous world of illegal gambling in the latter. If there is any director who's shown competition against Scorcese in breathing grit into the image of mobster families, it is Francis Ford Coppola with his uncompromising cinematic classic 'The Godfather'. This violent, gritty crime- thriller sees Scorcese continues his trademark cinematic ambition with showcasing an authentic take on the life of mobsters in the complicated world of crime. What many filmgoers may not to know is that this modern gangster piece happens to be a remake of a Chinese film 'Internal Affairs', following roughly the same plot and story structure. Set in the crime-ridden city of Southern Boston, Leonardo Dicaprio plays Billy Costigan, a brash undercover cop and former convict of the Boston Police Department, who is assigned by Captain Queenan (played by Martin Sheen) and Staff Sergeant Digman (played by Mark Wahlberg) to infiltrate an Irish mob gang run by Frank Costello (played by Jack Nicholson). With FBI informant Colin Sullivan (played by Matt Damon) set as Costello's mole and trusts of long-time friends and business partners put to the test, Costigan gets involved in a deadly game of cat-and-mouse as the two fight to uncover each other's identities.
In the world of modern day mobsters, things gets complex in a brutally ugly way. And director Martin Scorcese more than just demonstrates here. Keeping the high stakes high and the story engaging, Scorcese places a nasty twist on the mobster genre with this crime-drama where almost none of the characters are who they say they are or make out to be. Then the question that lies throughout the entirety of the plot is who are the good guys and the who are the corrupt ones. The question which lies among the characters escalates into a tautly-paced race against two of the main characters Billy Costigan and Colin Sullivan racing to discover each other's identities. With gunfights erupting in the streets of Boston and the lives of close allies threatened by corrupt individuals handled by the antagonist and crime boss Frank Costello, the film proceeds with an appropriately dark atmosphere. Scorcese does a magnificent job on propelling each scene with near-constant tension and substance, and persistently maintains absorbing character development to keep things engaging without losing track of momentum. Leonardo Dicaprio's Billy and Matt Damon's Colin along with the roaring tyranny of Jack Nicholson's Frank Costello are driving forces of the plot as one of an undercover cop fighting for the truth, and the other is a backstabbing mobster who disguises an law enforcement to put the other in the pawn of their dubious plan. As the body count rises and the identities of the aforementioned characters are exposes, everything builds to a startling climax that seals the deal. Like many of Scorcese's pictures, there is plenty of bloodshed and hard-hitting violence to paint the ugly, but true portrait of the crime underworld.
Leonardo Dicaprio, who last collaborated with Martin Scorcese as Amsterdam in 'Gangs of New York', suits up in the center figure of the film here and propels himself with plenty of fortitude and intensity in the role. Dicaprio has proved he is capable of playing roles of both the right and wrong side of the moral compass. His powerhouse portrayal proves is talented at channeling with both anger and striking humanity. Matt Damon, often known for playing the hero role or perhaps an ordinary human protagonist, is given a whole another ball game here. Shifting from his good guy persona to a corrupt individual with a perplexing agenda, Damon gives a genuinely versatile performance that marks easily one of the highest points of his career. Mark Wahlberg plays the trusted supporting figure of Dicaprio's protagonist and certainly makes a big name of himself here. His performance is strong and shines of emotional depth. But perhaps none of these actors are able to compete with Jack Nicholson who boasts a gritty portrayal of the ruthless mob boss Frank Costello. Although Nicholson is no stranger to playing character with violent tendencies, especially after playing the psychopath Jack Torrance in 'The Shining'; Nicholson propels with a sinister appeal to the role that makes this long-time actor stand out among the rest. His character, greatly inspired by real-life Boston gangster James "Whitey" Bulger, is about as darkly charismatic as many gang bosses in cinematic entries -- nothing more, nothing less.
The Departed is a thrillingly enthralling modern-day gangster drama powered by Martin Scorcese's superb direction and powerhouse performances by a brutally talented cast. This Scorcese piece is an astounding cinematic effort that not only transcends the gangster genre, but marks a powerfully stunning masterpiece that is more than likely to stand the test of time in many years to come.