The Departed 4K UHD Steelbook Review
Martin Scorsese doing what he does best.
2006’s “The Departed” is a combination remake of “Infernal Affairs” mixed with real-life Boston crime stories (namely Whitey Bulger). The Boston set ensemble crime/gangster film focuses on Irish mob boss Frank Costello (who harbors a secret of his own), corrupt Special Investigation Unit (or SIU for short) officer Colin Sullivan (who secretly collaborates with Frank), undercover cop Billy Costigan (who poses as a new member of Frank’s outfit) and Sgt. Dignam (who works with Captain Queenan and is involved in Billy’s operation). All hell breaks loose when Frank tries to find a rat within his organization while Billy is trying to discover who is working with Frank within law enforcement. There’s also an informant within Frank’s outfit whose identity remains unknown. All of this drama comes to a head in the end.
It’s a little odd that a remake ended up earning legendary filmmaker Martin Scorsese his first Best Director Oscar given that it’s nowhere near his best work. It’s not even his best gangster movie. With that said, the Best Picture winning film is still a quality cops and gangsters story penned by William Monahan. It’s an authentic and intense tale about corruption, lies, toxic masculinity, violence, and duty with twists and turns galore, break neck editing (perhaps too fast), and an all-star cast (more on that in a bit). Is the rat scene still ridiculously needless and on the nose? Is the dialogue often profanity ridden? Does the story tread familiar territory for Scorsese? The answer is yes to all of these questions, but none of that hampers the compelling film as a whole.
Going back to the cast, it’s a true star studded affair with Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg, Matt Damon, Leonardo DiCaprio, Anthony Anderson, Vera Farmiga, James Badge Dale, Martin Sheen, Ray Winstone, Alec Baldwin, Kevin Corrigan, and David O’Hara. Nicholson shines as the mobster villain. His acting presence is truly missed in Hollywood. Matt Damon gives one of his best performances as the wormy agent working with the enemy. Leonardo DiCaprio always gives his best performances in Scorsese movies and this is no exception. There’s a real depth to his character as he struggles to live a horrific life undercover. Mark Wahlberg tends to be an uneven actor, but this is arguably his best work. Truthfully, the movie could have used more scenes with him. Vera Farmiga adds a lot to the film as psychiatrist Dr. Madden.
Video/Audio:
Presentation: 2.40:1 2160p. How does it look? Happy to report that this is an impressive upgrade from the Blu-ray. What more could you want?
Audio Track: 5.1 DTS-HD MA. How does it sound? The 5.1 track is perfectly crisp.
Extras:
* Digital copy
* 9 deleted scenes with intros by Martin Scorsese.
* “Guilt And Betrayal: Looking Into The Departed”- This new extra features Martin Scorsese talking about the film, themes, Boston community, the cast, and more.
* “Stranger Than Fiction: The True Story of Whitey Bulger, Southie and The Departed” covers the real-life gangster Whitey Bulger and its influence on “The Departed.”
* “Crossing Criminal Cultures” covers Scorsese’s organized crime films.
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