The Departed: Synopsis
Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson and Mark Wahlberg star in Martin Scorsese's new crime drama "The Departed."
"The Departed" is set in South Boston where the Massachusetts State Police Department is waging an all-out war to take down the city's top organized crime ring. The key is to end the reign of powerful mob boss Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson) from the inside. A young rookie, Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio), who grew up in South Boston, is assigned to infiltrate the mob run by Costello. While Billy is working to gain Costello's trust, another young cop who came up from the streets of "Southie," Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon), is quickly rising through the ranks of the state police. Earning a spot in the Special Investigations Unit, Colin is among a handful of elite officers whose mission is to bring Costello down. But what his superiors don't know is that Colin is working for Costello, keeping the crime boss one step ahead of the police.
Each man becomes deeply consumed by his double life, gathering information about the plans and counter-plans of the operation he has penetrated. But when it becomes clear to both the gangsters and the police that they have a mole in their midst, Billy and Colin find themselves in constant danger of being caught and exposed to the enemy -- and each must race to uncover the identity of the other man in time to save himself.
"The Departed," the gritty crime drama from director Martin Scorsese, takes us into the lives of two cops: Colin Sullivan, smart and unabashedly ambitious, appears to be on the fast track in the Massachusetts State Police Department's elite Special Investigations Unit, whose prime target is powerful Irish mob boss Frank Costello. Billy Costigan, street-smart and tough, is purported to have a violent temper that costs him his badge and eventually lands him back on the rough streets of South Boston, where he is recruited into Costello's ranks. But neither man is what he seems and, as they work at cross purposes, they are plunged into a dangerous game of cat and mouse in which the stakes could not be higher.
The story of "The Departed" is based on the 2002 crime thriller out of Hong Kong called "Infernal Affairs," which achieved great success in Asia before coming to U.S. shores in 2004. An American version was soon in the works, with William Monahan writing the screenplay.
"The Departed" is set in South Boston where the Massachusetts State Police Department is waging an all-out war to take down the city's top organized crime ring. The key is to end the reign of powerful mob boss Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson) from the inside. A young rookie, Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio), who grew up in South Boston, is assigned to infiltrate the mob run by Costello. While Billy is working to gain Costello's trust, another young cop who came up from the streets of "Southie," Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon), is quickly rising through the ranks of the state police. Earning a spot in the Special Investigations Unit, Colin is among a handful of elite officers whose mission is to bring Costello down. But what his superiors don't know is that Colin is working for Costello, keeping the crime boss one step ahead of the police.
Each man becomes deeply consumed by his double life, gathering information about the plans and counter-plans of the operation he has penetrated. But when it becomes clear to both the gangsters and the police that they have a mole in their midst, Billy and Colin find themselves in constant danger of being caught and exposed to the enemy -- and each must race to uncover the identity of the other man in time to save himself.
"The Departed," the gritty crime drama from director Martin Scorsese, takes us into the lives of two cops: Colin Sullivan, smart and unabashedly ambitious, appears to be on the fast track in the Massachusetts State Police Department's elite Special Investigations Unit, whose prime target is powerful Irish mob boss Frank Costello. Billy Costigan, street-smart and tough, is purported to have a violent temper that costs him his badge and eventually lands him back on the rough streets of South Boston, where he is recruited into Costello's ranks. But neither man is what he seems and, as they work at cross purposes, they are plunged into a dangerous game of cat and mouse in which the stakes could not be higher.
The story of "The Departed" is based on the 2002 crime thriller out of Hong Kong called "Infernal Affairs," which achieved great success in Asia before coming to U.S. shores in 2004. An American version was soon in the works, with William Monahan writing the screenplay.
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John2347
When you decide to be something, you can be it. That's what they don't tell you in the church. When I was your age they would say we can become cops, or criminals. Today, what I'm saying to you is this: when you're facing a loaded gun, what's the difference?
1 year agoby @john2347Flag
Chamith Jayanga J ヅ
superb........
2 years agoby @chamith-jayanga-jFlag
mil_mil
best movie
2 years agoby @mil-milFlag
DoubleR0522
This was a really good movie !!!
2 years agoby @doubler0522Flag
RojoDiablo
I liked both versions myself.
2 years agoby @rojodiabloFlag
johnnymaccombs100
i dont like this movie movie it is stupid it would have been better with out mark wahlberg
4 years agoby @johnnymaccombs100Flag
NAME GOES HERE
chepman, i am well aware that this film is a remake but you cannot say that there was no originality: in comparison there are huge degrees of seperation and as much as i enjoyed "Infernal Affairs", its greatness is still eclipsed by Scorsese's masterpiece that is "The Departed"
N.B. i always wondered, is the scene in which DiCaprio pursues Damon through a very Asian part of town a homage to "Internal Affairs"?
4 years agoby @pinget-69Flag
chepman
this is a remake..no originality..infernal affair,the original movie is much better..i love scorsese but this one is kinda let me down..
4 years agoby @chepmanFlag
The CryptKeeper
this movie sucked
4 years agoby @catwomanFlag
Nyfresh
this movie was really good but i wouldnt call it the best movie but without a doubt its a great f*ckin movie
4 years agoby @leo16Flag
bensbatman
What about gangs of new York
4 years agoby @bensbatmanFlag
slysnide
Good question! I liked this a helluva lot more than "Godfather Parts I/II/III" cuz this was WAY more contemporary and was a classic tale about rats hunting each other. I especially LOVE the final scene!!!!!! AND the elevator scene!!!!
Does anybody know if Scoresese is working on another crime drama??? I guess I'll just Wiki it.
In the meantime, if you liked this, then you probably liked Michael Mann's "Heat" (1995) and the great duo of detective Al Pacino & criminal ring boss Robert DeNiro. Therefore, this leads to the news that there's a new film in the works in which they both play cops. No word on who's the villain yet, nor anything on the movie itself. Just thought I'd throw it out there.
But "The Departed" RULES!!!!!!
4 years agoby @slysnideFlag
NAME GOES HERE
a thought just occured to me... "WHY HASN'T ANYONE COMMENTED ON THE GREATEST MOVIE OF ALL TIME?"
4 years agoby @pinget-69Flag
NAME GOES HERE
my favourite movie of all time (as can be seen by my display pic)... words cannot describe the way i feel about how great this movie is... without doubt one of Scorsese's greatest - up there with the likes of Goodfellas, Raging Bull and Taxi Driver
4 years agoby @pinget-69Flag