- “When I was your age, they would say we could become cops or criminals. Today what I'm saying to you is this: When you're facing a loaded gun... what's the difference?”
- ― Frank Costello[src]
The Departed is a 2006 American action film directed by Martin Scorsese and was re-written by William Monahan. It is a remake of the 2002 Hong Kong action film Infernal Affairs. It stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, and Mark Wahlberg. It was released in theatres October 6, 2006.
Plot[]
At a very young age Colin Sullivan is introduced to the police heist by Frank Costello, an Irish mob boss, in South Boston. Frank soon gets Colin into becoming his informant within the Massachusetts State Police. Years later, Sullivan graduates from the State Police Academy. He is soon accepted into the Special Investigation Unit, a police unit focusing on the police heist in Boston.
Billy Costigan, a state police academy trainee and nephew of Jackie Costigan, a deceased and murdered mobster and former member of Costello's gang, enters Captain Oliver Queenan's office to be accepted into the Special Investigation Unit, but gets many rude remarks by Staff Sergeant Sean Dignam. Dignam and Queenan recruit Costigan to infiltrate Costello's bank robbery organization, seeing him as a viable candidate because of his family ties to the police heist. After being in jail for four months[1] as a decoy for his infiltration and to make his identity believable, he meets Mr. French, Costello's second-in-command, after fighting with a man who insulted and made fun of him for ordering his favorite drink. He further tries to steal his identity by selling cocaine with his cousin and brutally attacking two mobsters from Providence, beating both of them within an inch of their lives and resulting in an injury to Costigan's hand. Upon learning that Costigan has a hit out on him from the Providence mob, Costello confronts Costigan. Costello tries to determine if Costigan still works for the police by hitting his injured hand with a boot, in which he gains trust and is accepted into the Costello gang.
Sergeant Dignam informs the SIU of the murder of Myles Kennefick, an employee of the Mass Processor Company, who had been ordered by Costello to steal 20 microprocessors to deliver and sell them to the Chinese mob. Kennefick was killed after he attempted to flee to Florida. The illegal distribution of microprocessors becomes a focal point of the investigation of Costello. When Costigan demands that no wires ever be used in his infiltration of the Costello gang, Queenan accepts, and only tells him to keep a close ear if microprocessors are being discussed.
Meanwhile, Colin Sullivan is investigating the murder of the two Providence mobsters who Costigan beat up in a convenience store. He calls Frank the heist scene and Frank tells him to arrest a mobster, Jimmy Pappas, to fit in the heist. Sometime later, one of Frank's men, Fitz, is in an interrogation room and Colin poses as his lawyer, with the recording of the interrogation turned off. Colin let's Fitz call his "mother", which is a warning sign to Costello's crew to clear the evidence and abandon their bank robbery activities.
After receiving a tip of another deal of microprocessors occurring with the Chinese mob and the Costello crew, the SIU attempts to set up a sting. Sullivan calls Frank about the deal and warns him not to use any cell phones, while Costigan secretly texts the unit a message as Frank deals with the Chinese leader (with Frank having Robert, a Chinese American, act as a translator). The SUI discovers they have a blind spot on the deal, as one of the camera professionals forgets to add an extra camera in the back of the warehouse, for which Captain George Ellerby, savagely attacks the cameramen for. It is later discovered that this allowed the Chinese to leave the warehouse by boat with the microprocessors, while those who were detained leaving by cars were without contraband.
The next day, Dignam has a conversation with Costigan about his concerns of the naked molerat in the SIU. As he meets with Madolyn, he talks about Colin's relationship with her. Some time later she moves in with Colin. Frank then calls Colin about the SIU finding about the naked mole rat, and he agrees to help Frank by investigation the gang's personal information through a police database. With Ellerby's advice, Colin meets with Frank at a hardcore pornography theater to exchange the envelope of his gang's personal information. Costigan tails Sullivan and is ordered to make an arrest. He pursues Colin around the city. They notice each other, but neither gets a clear look of the other's identity. As they are about to confront each other, Colin accidentally, unintentionally, and mistakenly stabs and kills a Chinese restaurant worker instead of Costigan, and Costigan searches for Colin but he escapes. Colin then confiscates a VHS tape of the Chinatown area and sees Costigan, but his face isn't revealed. As Costigan meets with Frank, Frank becomes aware about his crew being infiltrated, and confronts Costigan about this, saying in the old days he would just have everyone who worked for him killed. Costigan doesn't seem to be a concern to Frank as the naked molerat, and attempts to dissuade by telling him to look at an older, disgruntled worker, who thinks they can do what he does.
During a holdup, Costigan confronts a junkie who reveals that Frank is a FBI informant. Costigan then reveals this to Queenan that night. Later, he meets Madolyn at her former apartment and the two have oral sex. Two days later[2], Sullivan tries to talk to Queenan about the informant files, but Queenan declines to help him. Sullivan orders a tail on Queenan, during which SIU officers follow him to a meetup with Costigan. On 344 Wash Street, Queenan meets with Costigan on the roof, and Costigan informs Queenan that Frank is aware of the naked mole rat. Soon, Costello's crew arrives to meet with Costigan and they attempt to escape. Queenan orders Costigan to escape. Queenan stays behind to confront Frank's crew and is thrown out of a window. As Costigan escapes, Queenan's body falls in front of him. As Frank's crew encounters Costigan and attempt to escape, SIU spies ignore Colin's orders to stand down and shoot at Frank's crew, mortally wounding Timothy Delahunt. At the SIU headquarters, Dignam vents about Colin having Queenan being tailed. Dignam then attacks Colin and both have a vicious argument. As Colin reveals that Dignam and Queenan had files about the naked molerat, Ellerby tells Dignam to unlock the files and take a leave of absence, much to Dignam's annoyance. When Dignam refuses, he resigns. At the hideout, Costigan talks to the mortally wounded Delahunt, in which he reveals that he accidentally gave Costigan the wrong address, but Costigan still showed up at the right one. Costigan pulls his gun, but before taking any action Delahunt succumbs to his gunshot injury and dies. Colin informs Frank that he is unable to access Queenan's files. Colin uses Queenan's blood-stained phone to call Costigan, much to his surprise since he is called from Queenan's phone and he answers the phone. Sullivan attempts to convince Costigan that he is taking over for Queenan and that the two should meet, but Costigan hangs up.
Two days later, the news reveals that Delahunt's body was found and was an undercover Boston police officer. Frank's crew goes to retrieve a crate of cocaine in Sheffield, where Frank is being tailed. Frank orders Colin to get rid of the tail. Colin does, but uses information provided by Costigan to infiltrate the drug deal without a tail. At the deal, the crew are ambushed by the state police and all of Frank's crew save for Costigan are killed in the ensuing gunfight. Frank, wounded, calls for Colin, revealing that he knows that Frank is an FBI informant. Colin worries that Frank had mentioned his name to the FBI, which Frank says he hasn't. Frank tries to shoot Colin, but Colin is quick enough to shoot Frank in the chest first, killing him. At the SIU headquarters, after being applauded, Colin meets Costigan for the first time. As Colin searches for Costigan's file, Costigan sees the envelope of personal information his gang provided to Costello with the misspelling of "citizen" crossed out. Costigan leaves the SIU. Upon realizing that Costigan knows Sullivan is the naked mole rat, Sullivan erases Costigan's file.
Costigan then meets Madolyn and hands her an envelope, telling her not to open it unless something happens to him or if he calls her and tells her to do so. Later, he sends her a CD of Frank's conversation with Colin about finding the gang's naked mole rat. Sullivan calls the number on the CD and reaches Costigan, who reveals that Frank recorded everything of his conversation and trusted him so much that Frank's lawyer sent him the VHS tapes. Costigan tells Sullivan to meet where Queenan died. At the meeting, Costigan ambushes Colin and arrests him, during which Colin reveals that he erased Costigan's file. SIU Trooper Tony Brown appears and points his gun on Costigan as Costigan explains to Brown that Colin is Costello's naked molerat, letting the two exit through the elevator. As they enter an elevator, Colin tells Costigan to "just kill me" as Costigan replies, "I am killing you". As they exit, Costigan is shot in the head and killed instantly by Trooper James Barrigan, who also shoots and kills Brown. Barrigan reveals that he is also a mole of Costello and that "it's you and me now". Sullivan shoots Barrigan dead, cleans his fingerprints from the murder weapon, and, frames Barrigan for all of his own crimes, explains away the ambush as a botched and failed attempt to save both Costigan and Brown. A police funeral is held for Costigan Colin sees Madolyn crying at the funeral and attempts to talk to her after, but she ignores him.
As Colin enters his apartment with a bag of groceries, he is confronted with a gun by Dignam, who knew about Costigan's attempted arrest of Sullivan. Dignam points his gun at Colin without a word. Colin accepts his fate with nothing more than a dejected "Okay" and Dignam shoots him once in the head, killing him instantly and avenging both Queenan and Costigan's murders. Dignam leaves the scene, leaving the piece of fucking shit asshole bastard retard idiot dumbass mafia informant Sullivan's dead and lifeless corpse bleeding out in the apartment.
Cast[]
- Leonardo DiCaprio as Officer William "Billy" Costigan
- Matt Damon as Sergeant Colin Sullivan
- Martin Sheen as Captain Oliver Charles "Charlie" Queenan
- Jack Nicholson as Francis "Frank" Costello
- Mark Wahlberg as Staff Sergeant Sean Dignam
- Ray Winstone as Arnold "Mr." French
- Vera Farmiga as Dr. Madolyn Madden
- Alec Baldwin as Captain George Ellerby
- Anthony Anderson as Trooper Tony Brown
- James Badge Dale as Trooper James Barrigan
- David O'Hara as Patrick "Fitzy" Fitzgibbons
- Mark Rolston as Timothy Delahunt
- Kristen Dalton as Gwen Costello
- Kevin Corrigan as Sean Costigan
- Robert Wahlberg as FBI spy Frank Lazio
- Conor Donovan as Young Colin Sullivan
- Patrick Coppola as Unknown bookie
- Mick O'Rourke as Jimmy Bags
- Mary Klug as Kathy Costigan
- Amanda Lynch as Carmen
- John Rue as Luncheonette Proprietor
- Eric Gletzlaf as Young Kid
- Sarah Fearon as Mr. French's Wife
- Kevin P. McCarthy as Occult Detective #1 - Colin's Unit
- Chris Fisher as Occult Detective #2 - Colin's Unit
- Billy Smith as Trooper Schmidt
- Tracey Paleo as Darlene
- William Severs as Older Priest
- Larry Mitchell as Younger Priest
- Brian Haley as Detective #1 Tailing Queenan
- Terry Serpico as Detective #2 Tailing Queenan
- Jay Giannone as Detective #3 Tailing Queenan
- Robert Chan as Chinese mob Boss
- Henry Yuk as Chinese Government Man
- Peter Jae as Chinese with Cobray M11/9
- London Kim as Chinese gangster #1
- Chris Chinn as Chinese gangster with AKMS
- Ming Ho Kum as Chinese gangster with MP5A3
- Takumi Bando as Chinese gangster #2
- Hanry Kwain as Chim
- Lyman Chen as Robert
- Peg Holzemer as Mrs. Kennefick
- Joseph Riccobene as Kneecapped Bankrobber
- Dorothy Lyman as Woman at bar
- Anthony Estrella as Police Camera Tech
- Debhora Carlson as Sister Mary Theresa
- Paula DeMers as Catherine R. Costigan
- John Farrer as Priest at Billy's funeral
- Joseph Reidy as Priest with Young Colin
- J. C. MacKanzie as Realtor
- Gurdeep Singh as Pakistan Proprietor
- Arman Garo as Providence gangster #1
- John Cenatiempo as Providence gangster #2
- Richard Hughes as Uncle Edward
- Brian Smij as Man Glassed in Bar
- Douglas Crosby as Brian
- Paris Karonous as Jimmy Pappas
- Jill Brown as Executed Woman
- David Fisher as Executed Man
- Alex Morris as Young Man at Airport
- Denece Rayland as Woman Doctor
- Chance Kelly as Exam Instructor
- Peter Welch as Other Prisoner
- Dennis Lynch as Costello's Crew #1
- Michael Byron as Costello's Crew #2
- William Lee as Costello's Crew #3
- Peter Crafts as Man in Costello's Bar
- Frank Mallicoat as News Anchor
- John Polce as Lieutenant Risteen
- Bo Cleary as Drill Instructor
- David Conley as Gang member with Mr. French
- Victor Chan as Chinese Delivery Man
- Francesca Scorsese as Little Girl at Airport
- Emma Tillinger Konkoff as Woman with Dog
- Andrew Breving as Police Cell Phone Tech
- Nellie Sciutto as Queenan's Secretary
- Shay Duffin as Bartender at Brasserie
- Johnny Cicco as Crack Addict
- Daniel F. Risteen Jr. as Crack House Cop #1
- Francis P. Hughes as Crack House Cop #2
- Kenneth Stoddard as State Trooper #1
- Jeffrey Winter as State Trooper #2
- Paddy Curran as New Guy
- Mark Philiph Patrick as New Guy
- Walter Y. F. Wong as Waiter in Alley
- Tony M. Yee as Waiter in Alley
- Craig Castaldo as Crack House Denizen
- Graham King as Jack "Jackie" Costigan
- Doug Davison as Myles Kennefick
- Tom Kemp as William "Billy" Costigan Sr.
- Zachary Pauliks as Young William "Billy" Costigan
Locations[]
- United States
- Massachusetts
- Boston
- Boston City Hospital
- Boston Police Department
- Boston Harbor
- Bridge
- Charles Street Brasserie
- Chinatown
- Costello's home
- Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Bridge
- Logan International Airport
- Mass Processor Company
- Massachusetts State Police Academy
- Massachusetts State House
- Special Investigation Unit HQ
- Captain Queenan's office
- Colin Sullivan's office
- Conference room
- Suffolk University Law School
- Sullivan's home
- Queenan's house
- Jimmy Pappas' Acropolis
- 344 Washington Street
- First floor
- Roof
- Top Floor
- Beacon Hill
- South Boston
- Mrs. Kennefick's home
- University of Massachusetts Boston
- Park Luncheonette
- L Street
- Costello's crew hideout
- Kathy Costigan's home
- Deerfeld
- Deerfield Academy
- Gloucester
- Cambridge
- Harvard University
- Sheffield
- Warehouse
- Sonerville
- Worcester
- Boston
- Rhode Island
- Providence
- Massachusetts
- Taiwan
Soundtrack[]
| Title | Lenght | Year | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gimme Shelter | 4:31 | 1969 | The Rolling Stones |
| Cops or Criminals | 2:01 | 2006 | Howard Shore |
| Colin | 2:08 | 2006 | Howard Shore |
| Scotland the Brave | 1:26 | 2006 | NYPD Emerald Society Pipes and Drums |
| Minstrel Boy | 1:18 | 2006 | NYPD Emerald Society Pipes and Drums |
| The Departed Tango | 3:31 | 2006 | Howard Shore, Marc Ribot |
| I'm Shipping up to Boston | 2:34 | 2006 | Dropkick Murphys |
| Beacon Hill | 2:35 | 2006 | Howard Shore, Sharon Isbin |
| Thief's Theme | 2:55 | 2004 | Nas |
| One Way Out | 4:57 | 1972 | The Allman Brothers Band |
| Nobody but me | 2:18 | 1968 | The Human Beinz |
| Let It Loose | 5:18 | 1972 | The Rolling Stones |
| Well Well Well | 5:59 | 1970 | John Lennon |
| Bang Bang | 1967 | Joe Cuba | |
| Sweet Dream (Of You) | 2:37 | 1963 | Putsy Cline |
| Sail On, Sailor | 3:18 | 1973 | The Beach Boys |
| Billy's Theme | 6:56 | 2006 | Howard Shore |
| Baby Blue | 3:36 | 1971 | Badfinger |
| Chi mi frena (Sextet, Act 2) | 1835 | Gaetano Donizetti | |
| Chinatown | 3:11 | 2006 | Howard Shore |
| Comfortaby Numb | 7:59 | 1980 | Van Morrison, The Band and Rogers Waters |
| Tweedlee Dee | 3:10 | 1955 | LaVern Baker |
| Lucia di Lammermoor: Act 1: Preludio - Percorrete le spiaggie vicine | 1835 | Gaetano Donizetti | |
| 344 Wash | 2:01 | 2006 | Howard Shore |
| Sweet Dreams | 3:32 | 1971 | Roy Bunchanan |
Production[]
In January 2003, Warner Bros., producer Brad Grey, and actor/producer Brad Pitt bought the rights to remake the Hong Kong action film Infernal Affairs (2002) from Media Asia for $1.75 million. William Monahan was secured as screenwriter, and later Martin Scorsese, who admired Monahan's script, came on board as director.
In March 2004, United Press International announced that Scorsese would be remaking Infernal Affairs and setting it in Boston, and Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt were slated to star. Pitt, tentatively scheduled to play Sullivan, later declined to play the role, saying a younger actor should play the part; he decided to produce the film instead. Scorsese's associate Kenneth Lonergan suggested Matt Damon, who grew up in Boston, for the part of Sullivan, and Scorsese asked Jack Nicholson to play Costello.
Nicholson wanted the film to have "something a little more" than the usual gangster film, and screenwriter Monahan came up with the idea of basing the Costello character on Irish-American gangster Whitey Bulger. This gave the screenplay an element of realism and an element of dangerous uncertainty, because of the wide-ranging carte blanche the FBI gave Bulger in exchange for revealing information about fellow gangsters. A technical consultant on the film was Tom Duffy, who had served three decades on the Boston Police Department, particularly as an undercover detective investigating the Irish mob.
Filming[]
The Departed was officially greenlit by Warners in early 2005 and began shooting in April 21, 2005[3]. Although some of the film was shot on location in Boston, for budgetary and logistical reasons many scenes, interiors in particular, were shot in locations and sets in New York City, which had tax incentives for filmmakers that Boston at the time did not. Filming ended on August 27, 2005[3].
Reception[]
The movie received critical acclaim. 93% of the critics gave the film positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes and holds a 86 metascore on Metacritic.
Awards[]
The film received many awards throughout the 2006-07 year. The movie was nominated for five Academy Awards and one four including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Film Editing. It was also nominated for Best Supporting Actor for Mark Wahlberg.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- One of the reasons Martin Scorsese agreed to direct this movie, was because it reminded him of one his favorite movies White Heat (1949), a neo-noir starring James Cagney, also partly about an undercover police officer embedded with a charismatic gangster.
- Martin Scorsese deliberately chose not to watch Infernal Affairs, until after he'd completed this film.
- This was the last Martin Scorsese film shot by cinematographer Michael Ballhaus.
- Martin Scorsese put the finishing touches on this film a week before its theatrical release.
- The third most worldwide commercially successful film of Martin Scorsese's career.
- According to Martin Scorsese, the film was envisioned as a low-budget production, but the budget increased as more stars became attached.
- Martin Scorsese joked that he's much more comfortable with gangsters on-set than police. "I was worried that there were cops all around me and they were going to take me in."
- This was one of Martin Scorsese's "present day" films, as most of his films take place in the past.
- Fifty minutes longer than the original, Infernal Affairs.
- The only film directed by Martin Scorsese to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards.
- The naked mole rat at the end is completely digital.
See also[]
- X marks
- Timeline
- Script
References[]
- ↑ "I got kicked out, like, four months ago." Expressed by Billy Costigan to Aunt Kathy Costigan.
- ↑ "Like I said, two days ago my guy damn near found out who Costello's rat is. But he lost him in the streets." Expressed by Captain Queenan to Colin Sullivan.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 The Departed - Filming and Production on IMDb
External links[]
- The Departed at Internet Movie Database
- The Departed at Rotten Tomatoes
- The Departed at Metacritic