Modium's Movie Blog: The Departed (2006)

The Departed (2006)

Published Wednesday, October 11, 2006 by modium | E-mail this post

The Departed (2006)

Luke called it a cinematic blessing. He couldn't have been more correct. Yet another cinematic blessing from Martin Scorsese, the patron saint of cinema.

I don't think Scorsese has ever exhibited such bravado in his staging. The film grabs you from the start and doesn't let go. The camera swings around, pans down long tables and bar counters, all for the film. Even the slower scenes have a frenzied undercurrent running through them; the opening scenes place Costello completely in the dark, until he steps forward to finally utter the tagline, "When you're facing a loaded gun, what's the difference?" It's a relentless assault on our emotions that we'll gladly take anytime. Thelma Schoonmaker has always been one of the best, and her editing here is breathless; scenes overlap, slide on top of one another, and finally, slam into place.

The opening title doesn't appear until the end of the first reel. The first 20 minutes are an exquisite setup; this scene is the KO suckerpunch. The two thumps from I'm Shipping Up to Boston by DKM slam down like mortar fire, the white-on-black title flickers across the screen, Sullivan soars while Costigan begins his descent, the camera pans slowly across the penitentiary. It could just be the thrill of a theatrical screening talking, but this is one of the best scenes in film history. It's certainly one of the most intense, and it shows how perfectly the elements of cinema can be blended to create pure emotion. The plot, the already-well-defined characters, the cinematography, the editing, the use of music, it can all come together to form pure poetry. It's intense and overwhelming and it puts you right where Marty wants you.

Speaking of the music, Exiled once mentioned the Constant-Jukebox effect in Scorsese's films. He'd be happy to know that there's not much of that in The Departed. I could only remember 3 off the top of my head, but I'm sure there weren't many more than that. Gimme Shelter is one of Marty's standbys, and it's used to set the same kind of mood. It's not bad, it's just more of the same. Like I mentioned before, I'm Shipping Up to Boston is used to amazing effect. It's played over the title card and again later in the film as Costello and co. speed down the highway. It reminds me of the opening episode of The Shield, where Kid Rock's Bawitdaba is played before a big bust. Both aren't particularly good songs, I don't even really like them, but when used to the right effect, they can really pump you up and establish the perfect mood for a scene.

Talking about the use of music brings me to another point: the doubling. Kind of like what I discussed in Persona, there's a lot of duality in the picture. The two main pieces of music are both played in the beginning of the film, then repeated later on. There are two father-figures in the film, and both exert influence over Sullivan and Costigan. There's the wonderful scene late in the film where Sullivan calls Costigan's number, and they stay on the phone, silently, as the film cuts between them as they stay in the same spot in the frame. It makes perfect sense, as it's a story all about doubles; these are two men, both leading two lives (duh).

The acting, as everybody on the planet has said, is phenomenal. I don't think there's anybody here who didn't turn in the performance of their career in the film. As great as everybody is, the one who rises to the top is Leonardo DiCaprio. You can see it in his eyes from the very beginning, this is a man who is tortured even before the assignment. As he gets deeper and deeper into his double life, you can see it taking its toll on his soul. Of course, he has to maintain his cover at all times, because if he wavers for even a moment, he's dead. He really sells the danger that this assignment brings him. It really takes a huge talent to pull off a role with this many layers, and DiCaprio does an amazing job. Another standout is Martin Sheen. I really felt a pang of sadness when he died, and later on, my mom told me that she did as well. This is one of the more abstract assets that The Departed has in comparison to Infernal Affairs. As Americans, we've kind of grown up with Martin Sheen, we saw him way back when in Apocalypse Now, and we've since seen him stoic yet charismatic as President Bartlett on The West Wing. Before he even opens his mouth in the film, we already see him as a familiar presence, a grandfatherly type. Really makes you wonder what you miss out on when you see movies from other countries and time periods.

I honestly don't get filmgoers these days. I remember talking about it in regards to A History of Violence, but it annoyed me again here. I really don't get what's so funny about people getting shot in the face, blood spraying on people, and so on. But, that's just my generation, I suppose. I found the violence even more unexpected and horrific than anything Scorsese has done before. It's startling and brutal, the way all violence should really be portrayed.

Of course, it's a testament to the film's power that it didn't really get to me. I remember when the Warner Bros. logo came up on the screen, I was annoyed by the people chattering all around me. Not more than 60 seconds later, everything else faded away, and I nearly forgot all about everything outside of South Boston for 150 minutes. Really, can you ask for anything else from a movie?

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modium

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The Departed (2006)

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