The Departed

Theatrical release poster

**The Departed** is a 2006 American crime film directed by Martin Scorsese and written by William Monahan. It is a remake of the 2002 Hong Kong film Infernal Affairs. The Departed stars Jack Nicholson, Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, and Mark Wahlberg, with Martin Sheen, Ray Winstone, Vera Farmiga, and Alec Baldwin in supporting roles.

The film takes place in Boston. Irish Mobboss Francis "Frank" Costello (Nicholson) plants Colin Sullivan (Damon) as a molewithin the Massachusetts State Police; simultaneously, the police assign undercover state trooper William "Billy" Costigan (DiCaprio) to infiltrate Costello's crew. When both sides realize the situation, Sullivan and Costigan each attempt to discover the other's identity before they are found out. The character Colin Sullivan is loosely based on the corrupt FBI agent John Connolly, while the character Frank Costello is based on gangster Whitey Bulger.

The Departed was a critical and commercial success, and won several awards, including four Oscars at the 79th Academy Awards, for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Film Editing; Mark Wahlberg was also nominated for Best Supporting Actor.

## Plot

In 1980s South Boston, young Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon) is introduced to crime by Irish Mob boss Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson). By 2006, he has groomed Sullivan as a mole inside the Massachusetts State Police (MSP). Sullivan is accepted into its Special Investigations Unit led by Captain Ellerby (Alec Baldwin), which targets organized crime.

Another recruit, William "Billy" Costigan Jr. (Leonardo DiCaprio), is approached by Captain Queenan (Martin Sheen) and Staff Sergeant Dignam (Mark Wahlberg) to go undercover before graduating from the MSP's academy, as his family's ties to organized crime make him a perfect infiltrator of Costello's crew. He acts as an MSP academy dropout who served time in prison on a battery and assault charge; he subsequently joins Costello's crew after gaining his attention and proving he isn't a cop. Ellerby informs Special Investigations that they will not know the identities of Queenan and Dignam's undercover cops and that Costello's crew stole computer microprocessors to sell to a Chinese gang. Queenan and Dignam separately inform Billy and they all build their case to arrest Costello. As Billy is accepted as a member of Costello's crew, his mental state declines as a result of his involvement. Queenan and Dignam tell him there is a rat in the Special Investigations Unit and plead with him to stay undercover until the deal takes place.

As a year passes, Sullivan begins a romance with police psychiatrist Madolyn Madden (Vera Farmiga). Billy also sees her as a condition of his probation and being involved in Costello's crew. The MSP is ready to catch Costello selling the microprocessors, but a security camera was never installed in the back of the building where the deal takes place, and everyone escapes, infuriating Dignam and Ellerby. Costello realizes there is a rat infiltrating his crew. Sullivan, whose relationship with Madolyn is becoming more serious, is promoted to the State Police's Internal Investigations unit and tasked by Costello to find the rat. Sullivan tells him to deliver personal information of all his crew members so he can cross-reference them in the MSP database. Meanwhile, Billy learns that Costello is an FBI Informant. Billy meets with him in a restaurant and denies being the rat. He immediately tells Queenan that Costello is an FBI Informant, is aware of a mole in his crew, and is becoming increasingly paranoid.

Later, Billy follows Costello into a porn theater, who gives Sullivan the envelope containing the information he was asking for. Queenan gives Billy specific instructions to get visual ID of Sullivan before making the arrest. Billy chases him through Chinatown, but is unable to see his face. When Billy's ringtone goes off, Sullivan realizes he's being followed and prepares to stab Billy, but accidentally kills a civilian. He runs away and realizes there's a security camera that sees him. He tries to recognize Billy on the camera but is unable to.

Sullivan meets with Queenan after his promotion and is advised to follow Costello to find his rat in the police department. Costello waits for a call from Sullivan to find the police's rat, and tells Billy to take the day off and miss the upcoming job. Afraid, Billy calls Queenan to meet at an abandoned warehouse and Sullivan has Queenan tailed to that meeting. Costello's men arrive, and Queenan makes Billy leave to preserve his cover before confronting them alone. They drop Queenan to his death before engaging in a brief shootout with police. Crew member Delahunt subsequently dies from a gunshot wound, after telling Billy he knew he was the informant. Television news states that Delahunt had been an undercover cop, but Costello recognizes this as a ploy to protect the real informant. With Queenan dead, a furious Dignam is ordered to take a leave of absence after a fight with Sullivan, but he resigns instead. A vulnerable Billy goes to Madolyn's apartment and they have sex.

Using Queenan's phone, Sullivan reaches Billy, who refuses to abort his mission. Sullivan learns from Queenan's diary that Costello is a protected FBI informant, causing him to worry about his own identity being revealed. With Billy's help, Costello is traced to a cocaine drop-off, where a gunfight erupts between the crew and the police. Most of the crew are killed. An enraged Sullivan confronts Costello, who admits he is an FBI informant. When he suddenly draws a gun, Sullivan fatally shoots him and is congratulated by the police.

With the operation wrapped up, Billy goes to Sullivan to restore his true identity. While Sullivan goes in another room to process Billy's information, he notices Costello's envelope on Sullivan's desk, realizes he's the mole and flees. Sullivan comes back and realizes Billy saw the envelope and erases Billy's records from the police computer system to take away his credibility. Billy hands Madolyn an envelope containing the recordings of conversations that incriminate Sullivan as a mole and only instructs her to open it if something happens to him. Meanwhile, Madolyn has moved in with Sullivan and informs him she's pregnant with a son. As Sullivan takes a shower, Madolyn finds a letter addressed to him from Billy. She opens the letter, which also contains the tapes, listens to them, and leaves Sullivan.

Billy arranges to meet Sullivan at the building where Queenan died, where he holds him at gunpoint. Trooper Brown, a friend of Billy's from the academy, also arrives at his behest, but he has not brought Dignam as requested and instead treats him with suspicion due to him being erased from the police records and Sullivan being a Sergeant. Billy informs Brown he's taking Sullivan downstairs to be arrested and that he has hours of tapes and goes down. As the elevator opens, Trooper Barrigan from Special Investigations arrives and kills Billy, revealing that he was a second mole for Costello, and that the two of them need to stick together. Brown comes down a second elevator, sees Billy and is shot dead by Barrigan. Sullivan then kills Barrigan and frames him as the only mole.

At Billy's funeral, Sullivan notices that Madolyn is tearful. She ignores him when he attempts to speak to her. Later, Sullivan arrives to his apartment and is killed by Dignam. As he leaves, a rat races across the balcony.

## Cast

* Jack Nicholson as Frank Costello
* Leonardo DiCaprio as Billy Costigan
* Matt Damon as Colin Sullivan
* Mark Wahlberg as Sean Dignam
* Martin Sheen as Capt. Oliver Queenan
* Ray Winstone as Arnold French
* Vera Farmiga as Dr. Madolyn Madden
* Alec Baldwin as Capt. George Ellerby