Departed, The (4K Ultra HD)

He has made good musicals (New York, New York), surreal comedies (After Hours), satires (The King of Comedy) and biopics (The Aviator), but Martin Scorsese has never done better than the times he's dealt with life on the streets and gangsters. Mean Streets, Goodfellas and Casino (and, to some degree, Taxi Driver) are proof of that. It doesn't seem strange, then, that his finest film in over a decade (Goodfellas was released in 1990) sees him return to that familiar ground. With a few changes. The Departed, based on Hong Kong thriller Infernal Affairs (2002), is Scorsese's first gangster film not to feature Italian-American criminals. In fact, this film is set in Boston, where the Irish rule. One of these "godfathers" is Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson), the man the State Police want the most. After years of investigation, they're finally getting close, thanks to undercover agent Billy Costigan (Leonardo Di Caprio). Because of his family (all Irish, all bad), becoming a member of Costello's crew isn't that difficult. Now all Costigan has to do is report to his superiors, Queenan (Martin Sheen) and Dignam (Mark Wahlberg), who will pass on the information to Ellerby's (Alec Baldwin) Special Investigations Unit. What they don't know is that Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon), the most promising element of said unit, has been on Costello's payroll since he was 12. Soon enough, both cops and crooks become aware of the situation, beginning a manhunt that's gonna make the already fragile Billy even more nervous and Costello increasingly crazier. By moving from Hong Kong to Boston, Scorsese and screenwriter William Monahan have made the first step in ensuring this film will be quite different from its Chinese inspiration. Another significant factor is the running time: a mere 97 minutes for Infernal Affairs, 150 for The Departed. This is due to new characters (Dignam and Costello's henchman Mr French, played by Ray Winstone, were missing in the original) and subplots, such as the one concerning Madolyn (Vera Farmiga), a psychiatrist who gets emotionally involved with both of the moles. But the most crucial difference is in the depiction of the underworld: whereas IA was stylish without being excessive, Scorsese's vision comprises very colorful language (some insults are so creative one might expect Joe Pesci to show up) and, of course, buckets of blood, the last part of the movie proving to be particularly shocking. None of the scenes ever reach the gross-out level of Casino's head-in-the-vice scene, but in pure Scorsese tradition it remains unflinchingly violent (also notable is the music, perfectly setting the mood, scene after scene, alongside Thelma Schoonmaker's impeccable editing). Amidst these brutal surroundings, the director handles a spot-on cast: Baldwin, Sheen and Wahlberg (the latter finally back on form) make good use of their little screen time, Damon fine-tunes the edgier side he showed in The Talented Mr Ripley and the Bourne movies, and Nicholson, playing the villain again at last, delivers another OTT but classy turn (original choice Robert De Niro would probably have played the part with more calm and subtlety). A special mention is needed for Di Caprio: working with Scorsese for the third consecutive time, he has finally found a way to shake off his Titanic image, thanks to a vulnerable, gripping (and arguably career-best) performance. With its clever plot, excellent acting and expert direction, The Departed is without doubt the year's best film so far. If this really is going to be his last gangster film (he has said so), as well as his last studio-endorsed picture, Scorsese can be proud, given the masterpiece he has given us.

This movie is completely absorbing. It tells the tale of the Boston criminal Whitey Bulger - sort of. That's not his name in the movie, nor was it the outcome that Mr. Bulger deserved. You really feel for the characters, both undercover (Leo) and within the police force (Martin Sheen). I never care for Mark Wahlberg but he's good in this movie. Nicholson as always, gives a great performance and he is a completely menacing, frightening guy. There is violence so if you're really sensitive you might want to skip. The score is also great, not intrusive but memorable.

I think this is a must own for any Scorcese fan, and anyone who loves crime dramas. Full of great actors and great performances. Unofficial story of Whitey Bulger, the Boston mafia crime boss. I truly think it gets better with every watch. And Vera Farmiga is so good in this I can’t believe she didn’t get a ton of leading rolls right after.

The ending, that you Never saw coming, is worth the price of admission, alone.

good movie

Classic movie, with a great cast and captivating story!

The blurb for "The Departed" states that this is director Martin Scorsese's best effort since "Goodfellas". Excuse, Me! Since Goodfellas Scorsese's output includes "Cape Fear" (1991), "The Age of Innocence" (1993), "Casino"(1995), "Kundun" (1997), "Bringing Out the Dead" (1999), "Gangs of New York" (2002), and "The Aviator"(1994). Not a stinker in the bunch. In my personal opinion Scorsese probably deserved the Best Picture Oscar on at least six occasions: "Mean Streets" (1973);"The Sting" won, "Taxi Driver (1976);"Rocky" won, "Raging Bull" (1980);"Ordinary People" won, "The King of Comedy" (1983);"Terms of Endearment won, "Goodfellas"(1990);"Dances with Wolves" won, and "The Aviator" (1994);"Million Dollar Baby" won. Five actors have taken home gold from Scorsese films: Ellen Burstyn, "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore"(1974), Robert DeNiro, "Raging Bull" (1980), Paul Newman, "The Color of Money" (1986), Joe Pesci, "Goodfellas"(1990), and Cate Blanchett, "The Aviator" (1994). Put this in perspective, Steven Spielberg who some consider America's finest director never delivered an Oscar for any of his actors. The highest compliment that can be paid to Scorsese is that Daniel Day-Lewis came out of his self-imposed sabbatical to appear in "Gangs of New York". So now Scorsese has joined the Avildsens and Costners with a best director Oscar. When Marty won it was kind of a bittersweet moment. For sure it was a long time coming. "The Departed" was most certainly the best film of the nominated five, though I have a soft spot for "Little Miss Sunshine". In my mind, though, the best picture of 2006 was "Pan's Labyrinth". "The Departed" to me didn't hold up to Scorsese's stringent standards. One quibble I had was Scorsese's use of rock music that in previous films acted as a Greek Chorus to the action on screen. Here this same device added nothing to the film. Maybe Sorsese should have enlisted Robby Robertson for his input. Also, the film's content didn't seem to justify it's running time. Those reservations aside the film's main strengths were William Monahan's adaptation of "Infernal Affairs" and the superb ensemble cast. Monahan took the basic plot from the Hong Kong thriller and fleshed out the characters and added new and intriguing twists to the story. Much has been made of the actors on hand but I'd like to cite Matt Damon for particular praise. His sleazy cop is a work of great subtlety and nuance. Check Damon out in Robert DeNiro's "The Good Shepherd" where his understated work brings to mind Gene Hackman in "The Conversation". I guess I'll just conclude by saying justice was finally served but it was too long coming.

Great DVD to add to our collection. It arrived safely and played great in our DVD player.

Non recensisco la trama del film, vista la fama che ha e anche perché l'ho acquistato per inserirlo nei miei preferiti di Leonardo DiCaprio. Un cast eccellente, con DiCaprio, Jack Nicholson, Matt Damon, Mark Wahlberg e Martin Sheen. Il tutto arricchito dalla regia del grande Martin Scorsese. Di fatto il film ha vinto l'Oscar per miglior regia, miglior film, miglior montaggio e sceneggiatura non originale. Un gran bel film. Per quanto riguarda il venditore, ha eseguito la spedizione in totale tranquillità e normalità, rispettando le tempistiche. Il resto è OK

Such a good movie

I got this in a fantastic price of 299 in amazon. A fantastic product and a very good service by amazon. Well, one of Martin Scorsese's best motion picture. Leonardo Dicaprio, Jack Nicholson & Matt Damon, this makes a whole awesome combination altogether. A must watch.

Llegó bien protegido, sin daños y con un bonito slipcover. La imagen es muy buena, ganado puntos extras en nitidez y saturación del color, así como el brillo y la profundidad de los negros. El audio en inglés DTS-HD MA 5.1 es muy bueno y potente, sin presentar artefactos o ruido de fondo. También trae español latino Dolby Digital 2.0 y subtítulos en ambos idiomas. El código digital es válido para USA.

潜入捜査の難しさが良く描かれている。 デカプリオがワイルドな潜入捜査官を見事に演じている。 マフィア組織に潜入するが、様々なヤバイ状況をどう乗り切っていくのか？ ドキドキしながら観ました。 個人的に、警察内部にマフィア側の潜入者が送り込まれている設定が良いと思った。 (マフィア側は誰が潜入捜査官なのか？彼を使って探すのに躍起になる展開が面白いと思った) マフィアのボスを演じているジャック・ニコルソンも流石の演技でハマリすぎ。 面白い作品でした。