The Departed (2006)

Director:

Martin Scorsese

Writers (WGA):

William Monahan (screenplay)
Alan Mak (2002 screenplay Mou gaan dou) ...

Release Date:

6 October 2006 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Thriller

Tagline:

Lies. Betrayal. Sacrifice. How far will you take it?

Plot:

Two men from opposite sides of the law are undercover within the Massachusetts State Police and the Irish mafia, but violence and bloodshed boil when discoveries are made, and the moles are dispatched to find out their enemy's identities.

Plot Keywords:

Police | State Police | Undercover | Mafia | Informer

Awards:

Won 4 Oscars. Another 49 wins & 53 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Mon. Dec. 7	8:00 PM	FX
Tue. Dec. 8	4:30 PM	FX

Cast

Leonardo DiCaprio	...	Billy Costigan
Matt Damon	...	Colin Sullivan
Jack Nicholson	...	Frank Costello
Mark Wahlberg	...	Staff Sgt. Dignam
Martin Sheen	...	Cpt. Queenan
Ray Winstone	...	Mr. French
Vera Farmiga	...	Madolyn
Anthony Anderson	...	Brown
Alec Baldwin	...	Cpt. Ellerby
Kevin Corrigan	...	Cousin Sean
James Badge Dale	...	Barrigan
David O'Hara	...	Fitzy (as David Patrick O'Hara)
Mark Rolston	...	Delahunt
Robert Wahlberg	...	Lazio - FBI
Kristen Dalton	...	Gwen

Also Known As:

Infernal Affairs (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong brutal violence, pervasive language, some strong sexual content and drug material.

Runtime:

151 min

Country:

USA | Hong Kong

Language:

English | Cantonese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | SDDS | DTS

Certification:

Netherlands:16 | UK:18 | Hong Kong:IIB | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Singapore:M18 (edited version) | Australia:MA | USA:R (certificate #42877) | Finland:K-15 | Argentina:16 | Norway:15 | Philippines:R-13 (MTRCB) | Israel:16 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | Germany:16 | Brazil:18 | Malaysia:18SG | Iran:18+ | Portugal:M/16 | New Zealand:R16 | Spain:18 | Greece:K-13 | Ireland:18 (video rating) | Sweden:15 | South Korea:15 | Denmark:15 | Ireland:16 (original rating) | Canada:18A (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | France:U (with warning) | Japan:R-15 | India:A | Italy:T | Singapore:R21 | China:(Banned) | Italy:VM14 (original rating) | Austria:16 | Romania:I.C.-14 | Iceland:16

Filming Locations:

12 Farnsworth Street, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

The newscaster seen reporting the news story detailing the dumped body by Costello's gang was a real Boston area newscaster at the time of filming. He reported for Boston's Warner Brother's affiliate station WB56.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): When Queenan hands Constignan a glass of water, Queenan refers to it as "ice water". There is clearly no ice in the water.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Frank Costello: I don't want to be a product of my environment. I want my environment to be a product of me. Years ago we had the church. That was only a way of saying - we had each other. The Knights of Columbus were real head-breakers; true guineas. They took over their piece of the city. Twenty years after an Irishman couldn't get a fucking job, we had the presidency. May he rest in peace. That's what the niggers don't realize. If I got one thing against the black chappies, it's this - no one gives it to you. You have to take it.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy: Beavers: Assholes of the Forest (#1.21)" (2009)

Soundtrack:

Well Well Well

Best Scorsese Film. Period.

Oh my God.

I can say without overstatement that I just saw the most gripping and entertaining American film to come out in at least the past ten years.

I was lucky enough to get a pass to an advance screening of The Departed this past weekend in Boston. I wasn't sure what to expect and actually planned on being a little disappointed with all the expectations and hype of such an all-star cast.

From the moment the opening credits came up, the movie grabbed me by the neck, ripped me out of my seat and didn't let go until the final scene.

Each performance is more masterful than the next. Damon was a tour de force as the lead, tapping every ounce of his acting reservoir for this role. Nicholson creates another classic role to add to his already sterling resume. His mob boss would almost steal every scene he was in, if it not for every other actor being so fantastic However, the biggest surprise for me personally came from Leonardo DeCaprio.

Having never warmed up to any of his roles or movies, I found myself blown away by him in this. I'm not sure if it was the material he was given, or if DeCaprio has grown this much as an actor, or a combination of both, but he finally won me over with his role in this instant Scorsese classic. Every character is pitch perfect, every scene is right on the money. The plot builds to a crescendo of such dynamic proportions rarely seen on film. I don't want to give too much away, but I'm still shaken from the ride I was taken on.

People go to the movies in the hopes that maybe once in a hundred times you get to experience storytelling so masterful and transcendent that it changes the way you view cinema. This is one of those spectacularly perfect times.

Forget Taxi Driver. Forget Raging Bull. Forget Goodfellas. As much as I LOVE those movies and as much as they have affected me in my lifetime, The Departed will hands down be Martin Scorsese's Master Work.