The Departed-- A Review

Aficionados of Martin Scorsese's ouevre will be delighted with his portrait of macho guys, calculated violence, gritty cinematography, and struggle with Catholic-American (in this case, Irish-American) identity in this 2006 thriller. Featuring a star-studded cast of 'senior' actors (Jack Nicholson, Martin Sheen, Alex Baldwin) and established actors (Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Mark Wahlberg), the movie takes us to the heart of one of the reputedly most heartless neighborhoods in Boston (Southie) and entertains, chagrins, and challenges us for a relentless 2 1/2 hours until everyone of consequence is dead. Yet the imagery, words, liveliness of character portrayals and fascination with a reality only dimly known by Americans manages to titillate and repulse at the same time. As one writer has said, the movie accurately captures the "strangulating" culture of Boston's ethnic neighborhoods, a strangulation brought about by oppressively close interactions of law enforcement, politicians and mob figures. All the smart money at this point is on Scorsese to win Best Director for the film, and an increasing array of critics is promoting this film for Best Picture, though I think that Babel explores more subtly and skillfully themes of importance for our world in 2007.

A Word on the Action

Jack Nicholson is Frank Costello, an Irish mob boss with an Irish surname (*thanks to reader Sam Sweeney for connecting me with how Costello is Irish), who rules South Boston with an iron fist, taking payments from shop owners, wiping out with great glee his enemies and, as we later learn, parceling out dollops of information to the FBI so that they will stay off his back/track. So powerful is he that no one crosses his path; he even has the local clergy cowed because of information he has on them regarding child sexual abuse or romantic liaisons. Costello plants a snitch inside the "Staties" (Mass. State Police), Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon), who will report every move that the police make against him. The police, however, are well aware that Costello is up to no good, and therefore, they plant their own snitch Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio) inside Costello's gang. This is quite some task, of course, but they have the perfect candidate in Costigan. His father was a low-level crook known by Costello; Bill apparently "flunked out" of the police academy; he served time in prison for a crime; he killed a few competing mobsters from the Patriarcha family (Providence) when they were in Boston demanding payment, etc.; he, therefore, came to Costello's attention as someone who had a chip on his shoulder and would be a good person to support his efforts.

The film then explores the multiple layers of deception and the effects of this deception on relationships (Sullivan's impotency with his girl-friend is hinted at) or one's psychological health (Costigan is a pill-popper and nervous wreck, though he keeps a steady hand). The violence and off-color language (law enforcement and the mob seem to trade equally in both products) don't seem to exact a psychological or physical toll on Costello; rather he is in his element as a sociopathic and misogynist boss, reveling in people's dependence on him and his role in the Boston world. It is no secret that Scorsese patterned Nicholson's character on the shady South Boston mobster Whitey Bulger (still on the FBI's 10 Most Wanted list), and this characterization is made even more enticing and titillating by the fact that Whitey Bulger's brother was the respected/respectable former President of the Massachusetts State Senate and President of the University of Massachusetts. Some have speculated that Scorsese is planning a sequel with not simply dirty cops but a dirty politician. Stay tuned.

Weaknesses

Though Scorsese "does" violence and richly layered symbolism better than any director in America today, this film has two weaknesses, in my judgment, that will probably keep it from winning Best Picture. One fault is the inept and rather shallow portrait of Dr. Madolyn Madden (Vera Farmiga), a police psychologist and, as the film develops, lover of both Sullivan and Costigan. She becomes privy to information about Sullivan being Costello's snitch, but nothing is done with this interesting bit of knowledge. She gets drawn into the lives of both of the men, despite the pretty strict rules in place about "fraternizing" with patients/clients that psychologists have. Several psychological themes could have been explored (why she was vulnerable to both of these guys; how each of the guys reacted differently to his violent and deceptive life; what the nature of deception is when practiced by people for a living, etc.), but Scorsese is deaf to this. It may be that he just doesn't have the patience, skill or interest in trying to present the inner life of a woman, but such a portrait would only have "slowed" down the action a little bit and would have contributed immensely to the rich texture of the movie.

Then, there is the portrait of Frank Costello by Jack Nicholson. Nicholson has put together such an impressive collection of performances over a forty year career that it is nearly impossible to see him for who he tries to become in each new role he assumes. This is especially the case in The Departed, as his cruel and almost maniacal persona is reminsicent of Nicholson in movies such as The Shining and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Thus, when he raises an eyebrow or furrows a brow in Departed, you don't know if he is trying to assume the character for whom he was scripted by Scorsese or whether he is just pulling out a "Jackism" from the hat to apply to Frank Costello. That is, you really don't know how much Nicholson really "studied" the part he portrayed here.

All in all, however, The Departed is a scorchingly engrossing movie for those who either have strong stomachs or are able to separate themselves easily from the reality depicted on the screen. Hail to Martin--this time you will win Best Director.

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