The Collegian

Issue date: 10/17/06 Section: Detour

Media Credit: Courtesy of http://bloggywood.se

Shakespeare in South Boston. This is the story that director Martin Scorcese brings to the big screen in his new film The Departed.

The story follows Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon) through his ascension to Massachusetts State Police prominence, while Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio) falls deep undercover with the Irish mafia.

Both are taken under their wing by mob boss Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson), the only thing bigger in Boston than Larry Bird.

Damon and DiCaprio solidify themselves as serious performers. DiCaprio does not drag the film with sub-par acting as he did in his previous collaborations with Scorcese. Like Damon, his abilities come through the screen stronger than they have in previous roles. It helps that Nicholson brings about a wonderfully villainous mean streak to the screen. This is Nicholson's first film in three years and there are no signs of rust on the legendary actor.

The film begins with a voiceover of Frank Costello. As Costello shakes down a local diner, the audience is thrown into his world: sick yet slick, disgusting and appealing. And only Nicholson can pull it off.

The film is not free of trite characterizations. However, the powerhouse cast does more than enough to ignore that fact. Ray Winstone plays Mr. French, the muscle for Costello's mafia. Winstone's performance seemingly adds complexity to his flat character. Martin Sheen makes his prescence known as the "good cop." In this film, even Mark Wahlberg acts.

Comedy is not something that is lost on The Departed. Alec Baldwin chimes in with a seriously comedic role. The ball-busting banter of the cops and mafiosos offers laughs where audiences least expect them. Half way through the film, the audience teeters between laughing and cringing. The laughs come from the same place as the blood: the testosterone-ridden streets of Boston, the world where cops and thieves alike curse like mother is not home.

The Departed delivers the type of violence that curdles the viewer's blood. Unapologetic, it is both bountiful and visceral. The film falls in line with Scorcese's other works such as Goodfellas and Casino in terms of its gritty nature. As the story unfurls, he treats bloodshed like a paintbrush. There is, however, a love story. Sullivan and Costigan vie for the love of a city-appointed therapist. Scorcese approaches the romance seriously, but realizes it is not the story to tell. He finds both the heart and the lack thereof in this blood-soaked tale.

Back in the realm of gangsters, Scorcese comfortably unveils characters and setting. No one is forgotten on screen and no detail goes unnoticed. He incorporates cross-cutting to empower his storytelling. Scorcese never strays from the parallel narrative with Sullivan and Costigan. Much like his work in Mean Streets and Taxi Driver, he explores the visual possibilities the city offers. The result is a film that flows like the blood it sheds.

Martin Scorcese returns and scores with The Departed. He reminds the film world that no one knows tragedy like Martin Scorcese. Will someone please inform the Academy?

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