MORAL OF THE MOVIE

Corruption comes in many forms, but it can often manifest in the people that you least expect. Most people have will always have their own best interests in mind, so it is important to keep an eye out for those whose best interests don’t necessarily align with yours.

WHO I THINK WOULD MOST ENJOY THIS MOVIE

Fans of gritty crime-driven dramas that don’t pull their punches (ie. Most of Martin Scorsese’s movies such as Goodfellas, Mean Streets, Taxi Driver, etc.). Also, a guy’s guy type of person will enjoy this film the most as it is full of those sorts of characters with pent-up rage.

ADDITIONAL NOTES/COMMENTARY

The Departed is actually an Americanized remake of the 2002 Hong Kong film Internal Affairs. With the star power in the film, however, it’s no wonder that it totally overshadows its original predecessor. The star-studded cast deliver amazing performances too. Leonardo DiCaprio and Matt Damon commandeer the story but this film is in no way solely theirs. Mark Wahlberg (a role for which he was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar) formed part of the stellar supporting cast that included Hollywood vets such as Jack Nicholson (one of the best in the business and his role in this film is yet another exhibition of his sheer talent), Martin Sheen, and Alec Baldwin among others. The Departed is truly a classic because of how it holds together spectacular performances, masterful direction, and gritty writing. You might ask, “how is the direction masterful?” Firstly, it takes a true leader to keep so many Hollywood stars within the same cast in check. Secondly and most importantly, in a cautionary tale about corruption and identity, the story is effectively told through the themes of death, betrayal, and moral upbringing. Death is heavily foreshadowed throughout the film (see: symbolism of X) as it is what every character fears and tries to avoid in the grand scheme of things. Betrayal is the theme on the front end of the screen as everyone is trying to find their respective “fucking rat” that is betraying them by relaying information to the other side. Lastly, moral upbringing is the justification for the protagonists’ actions and behavior. There is a very important moral in this last theme as it shows us that even though our pasts/upbringing form a very important part of who we are, it doesn’t have to define us. This is all part of the writing process and the script so credit to William Monahan (won an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay), but Scorsese was the one who brought it home. Overall, Scorsese maintains a sense of constant tension throughout the film that brings together all three of these themes. This results in a very entertaining movie that makes you care about the characters and what happens to them because you feel what they’re feeling (fear of death and the looming threat of betrayal) and understand the unpredictable circumstances they’re in.