An undercover cop and a mole in the police attempt to identify each other while infiltrating an Irish gang in South Boston.
From the opening scenes of “The Departed,” it’s clear that this is a special movie. Not since “Goodfellas” had Scorsese put all the pieces together to make a magnificent whole.
For starters, there is the acting talent. The cast includes Jack Nicolson, Matt Damon, Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Wahlberg, Martin Sheen, and Alec Baldwin, teamed to form an epic narrative unlike any other. A lot is happening here, and your humble reviewer will try to avoid revealing any spoilers.
The story centers on organized crime in Boston, with Damon and DiCaprio working undercover either with Nicolson or against him. The ins and outs of who might be an informant on whichever side of the law constitute the compelling intrigue of the film. Both the Massachusetts State Police and the mob desperately seek the identity of their respective rat throughout the movie. Near the end, an actual rat appearing onscreen serves as something of a metaphor, and not without a trace of sarcasm, or perhaps irony, by way of the musical score.
Vera Farmiga plays a police psychiatrist who is clearly conflicted with a couple of her patients. She sees DiCaprio and Damon on and off the job but only slowly begins to understand the nature of their secrets. It is worth commenting that several actors, like Damon, boast genuine South Boston accents. However, watching others like Farmiga affect a Southie intonation that slips occasionally is interesting.
Sheen, along with Mark Wahlberg, runs an undercover operation compartmentalized within the state police. Other units—also shielded from knowledge by most of the other cops—operate in the same fashion for fear of moles within the organization. In the whirlwind of killings, beatings, and flashbacks, it is obvious that security concerns are well-justified. Twists and turns will keep audiences guessing until the closing credits, and repeated viewings may be required to sort out all of the complexities and misdirection.
Baldwin’s character – like Sheen, a captain in the Massachusetts State Police – makes a prescient comment when the surveillance team assisted by the Feds demonstrates that cell phones can be tracked, which could help him identify who the mole is in their organization. The potential for abuse by law enforcement rings home when Baldwin exclaims that he loves the Patriot Act, dating back to shortly after 9/11. Other period pieces include an assortment of ubiquitous flip phones back in the day and are rumored to be making a comeback by retrophiles.
Nicholson certainly has a good time playing Frank Costello, the mob boss modeled after Whitey Bulger, who ran the Winter Hill Gang in Sommerville, Massachusetts. His over-the-top performance hints at the Joker in Tim Burton’s “Batman” and the Devil in“The Witches of Eastwick” – both appropriate for this drama.
Scorsese’s direction tells the story with crisp editing, jumping back and forth as necessary to bring events to life with clarity. For his efforts, Scorsese won a long-overdue and well-deserved Oscar for Best Director. Partly based on factual circumstances, part fiction, “The Departed” represents filmmaking and casting at their finest.
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