Martin Scorsese is no first-timer when it comes to portraying the underground world of organized crime on film. In "Goodfellas" (1990) and "Casino" (1995), Scorsese depicted the Mafia in the streets of New York City and the casinos of Las Vegas.
This time around, the back alleys and bars not too far from Tufts University's pristine niche here in Medford serve as the backdrop for the acclaimed director's newest offering, "The Departed." The movie delves into the history of Boston's gangland from Southie to Somerville, revealing a side of the city that few movies have been able to capture on screen.
The story follows two rookie police officers, Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon), whose lives intertwine through their relations to Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson), a boss in the Irish mob. After graduating from the police academy, Costigan's first assignment is to infiltrate the mob in order to bring down Costello's criminal organization.
Meanwhile, Colin Sullivan is promoted to the police department's Special Investigation Unit, where he secretly serves as Costello's inside man. As both sides become aware of a mole within their respective organizations, Costigan and Sullivan struggle to expose each other before they end up dead or in jail.
Although "The Departed" is a remake of the 2002 Hong Kong film "Internal Affairs," Scorsese succeeds at reinventing the story by adapting it to the streets of Boston. Sticking to the same basic plotline, the two films differ because of the defining role that the new setting plays on the progression of the story and the development of its characters.
The director shows the real-life brutal rivalry between Irish and Italian gangs. Frank Costello and his thugs are a thinly veiled reference to James "Whitey" Bulger and the Winter Hill Gang, a group of notorious Irish-American gangsters that operated in the '60s and '70s.
Scorsese uses the city in which the story takes place to add to the aesthetic of the film. In "The Departed," he plunges his audience into the heart of Boston by shooting scenes around the city's famous landmarks. Scorsese unravels the underground aspects of the city by bringing the camera into the Irish bars where Costello and his crew congregate. Even the soundtrack has a strong Boston ring to it, with songs by local boys, the Dropkick Murphys.
Scorsese's excellent cast
delivers top-notch performances. Put another feather in Leonardo DiCaprio's cap; this is his third successive role paired with Scorsese and follows his notable 2005 Oscar nomination for "The Aviator." This former teen magazine favorite is proving that he's more than the proverbial pretty face with his increasingly impressive acting skills.
DiCaprio portrays a young undercover cop faced with having to give up his sense of identity and live in constant fear amongst gangsters. He plays the role of both policeman and criminal very well, demonstrating his vulnerability as well as his hot-headed and thuggish temperament.
Jack Nicholson is also exceptional as the emblematic villain, Frank Costello. His coarse dialogue is often vulgar, but witty as well. Nicholson's intense acting echoes Daniel Day-Lewis' outstanding performance as The Butcher in Scorsese's "Gangs of New York" (2002).
Matt Damon, Mark Wahlberg and Martin Sheen round out the cast playing officers in the Special Investigations Unit. Matt Damon's antagonistic character, Colin Sullivan, partly drives the theme of betrayal throughout the thriller. The editing of the film brilliantly keeps the suspense alive between Damon and DiCaprio.
Scorsese has been nominated five times for the Best Director Oscar, but has never taken a statue home. If he gets nominated again this year, it's hard to tell whether or not he'll finally get the Academy's recognition as one of the world's best moviemakers.
It's long overdue, but they've already refused to give him the prize for some of his most ingenious work. "The Departed" isn't his most Academy Award-friendly movie, but they might give him the Oscar anyway out of respect for his career.
After all, it seems a bit ridiculous that Three 6 Mafia have one on their trophy shelf, and Martin Scorsese doesn't.
