The Departed
(DVD Review)
By MovieCritic on 03-28-2008
The Departed, which won Martin Scorsese what some considered a long-overdue Academy Award for Best Achievement in Directing, also won Best Achievement in Editing and Best Adapted Screenplay, as well as top honors from the Writers Guild of America and the Directors Guild of America. Based on a Hong Kong film entitled Infernal Affairs, it is an action-filled crime thriller with the heart of a drama. The complex plotting and intriguing exploration of the nature of identity will appeal more to the Intuitive temperaments, Rationals and Idealists, than to the Sensing ones. Guardians may not find enough redeeming traits in the characters to feel sympathy for them. Artisans may give mixed reviews: Though it is suspenseful, the movie can be difficult to follow, as the primary tension is psychological, and the conflict is built through many, many small details.
Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson) is the "rock star" of the mob. He suits the job perfectly: precise yet hedonistic, principled yet bloodthirsty (in one scene he is shown with a victim's blood dripping from his mouth), insane yet deliberate. Detective Sgt. Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon) grew up under Frank's wing and serves as his mole within law enforcement. Trooper William Costigan is Colin's counterpart, an undercover who infiltrates Frank's operation. They are also connected via police psychologist Dr. Madolyn Madden (Vera Farmiga). Colin dates her. William is her patient. She is one of only three people who know of his true identity as a cop; eventually she severs their professional relationship and becomes his lover. When each man is assigned to find out who the impostor is, the pursuit seals the fates not only of the two moles but of their bosses as well. Ultimately the police and the mobsters share their roots in the world of Irish Catholic Boston. The funeral rituals and prayers for the souls of the departed come up over and over again throughout the film as mothers, fathers, uncles, and comrades pass on, leveling the differences between the saints and the sinners.
Verdict: A superbly crafted picture. The level of gore goes over the top at times.
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Posted by leonbodevin on Mar 31, 2008
Good observations on the types that would like this movie. Does anybody care to type the characters? I think it's obvious that most of the characters are artisans (including Dicaprio and Nicholson who both seem to play promoter artisans) but Matt Damon's character (from all appearances a straight arrow with the highest social aspirations) has always struck me as a possible guardian. |
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Posted by JackDermody on Apr 1, 2008
I agree about Damon. His characters seem often to be Guardian -- and so may he be himself -- a good example of being "type" cast!! Occasionally you can tell when an actor's type trumps the role being played, e.g., Halle Barry in that James Bond movie. I['m guessing she is either a Guardian with a high F or an Idealist with a solid J, so the Artisan role she was supposed to play looked uncomfortable on her. |
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Posted by bsaunders on Apr 2, 2008
I thought some of the upper-level guys on the police force were Guardians, also. |
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Posted by bsaunders on Apr 4, 2008
personalitychamp552, you are right. I was remiss in forgetting to name DiCaprio. I'm working on a review of Blood Diamond, and I'll be sure to do right by him this time! |
Although I feel sure you were accidentally remiss in mentioning that Leonardo DiCaprio played the role of William Costigan, I wanted to include it here. While I'm not one of those women who fawn over him for his physical or financial attributes, in this movie even I was impressed. His realistic depiction of a man tormented between remaining true to his assignment or remaining ALIVE was impeccably credible ! You are correct about Idealists being drawn to The Departed, as I am an ENFP myself. Sure enough, if a movie smacks of psychological suspense, Idealists are usually onboard and ready to analyze it. In fact, they often anxiously watch it at least 2 or 3 times. {I’ll admit to that!} During the repeated observation of The Departed, it became a movie that offered clearer enlightenment, particularly into the male psyche. Just as significant was my respect for the writers and others who interwove the characters so adeptly. Weren’t you also impressed with linguistic coaching the actors must have had? The Bostonian dialect intrigued me! The Departed was a uniquely genuine movie that allowed viewers to ponder a wide range of human frailties, manipulations, temptations, and even honesty! Awww ~ we Idealists live to expose good from evil, don’t we? Thanks ~ Azure