Product Description

Rookie cop Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio) grew up in crime. That makes him the perfect mole the man on the inside of the mob run by boss Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson). It's his job to win Costello's trust and help his detective handlers (Mark Wahlberg and Martin Sheen) bring Costello down. Meanwhile SIU officer Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon) has everyone's trust. No one suspects he's Costello's mole. How these covert lives cross double-cross and collide is at the ferocious core of the widely acclaimed The Departed. Martin Scorsese directs guiding a cast for the ages in a visceral tale of crime and consequences. This is searing can't-look-away filmmaking: like staring into the eyes of a con - or a cop - with a gun.Running Time: 151 min.System Requirements:Run Time: 151 minsFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA UPC: 085391132882 Manufacturer No: 113288

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #5424 in DVD
• Brand: Warner Brothers
• Released on: 2007-02-13
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
• Formats: AC-3, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD-Video, Special Edition, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English, French, Spanish
• Dubbed in: French, Spanish
• Number of discs: 2
• Dimensions: 1.00 pounds
• Running time: 151 minutes

Amazon.com
Martin Scorsese makes a welcome return to the mean streets (of Boston, in this case) with The Departed, hailed by many as Scorsese's best film since Casino. Since this crackling crime thriller is essentially a Scorsese-stamped remake of the acclaimed 2002 Hong Kong thriller Infernal Affairs, the film was intensely scrutinized by devoted critics and cinephiles, and while Scorsese's intense filmmaking and all-star cast deserve ample acclaim, The Departed is also worthy of serious re-assessment, especially with regard to what some attentive viewers described as sloppy craftsmanship (!), notably in terms of mismatched shots and jagged continuity. But no matter where you fall on the Scorsese appreciation scale, there's no denying that The Departed is a signature piece of work from one of America's finest directors, designed for maximum impact with a breathtaking series of twists, turns, and violent surprises. It's an intricate cat-and-mouse game, but this time the cat and mouse are both moles: Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon) is an ambitious cop on the rise, planted in the Boston police force by criminal kingpin Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson). Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio) is a hot-tempered police cadet who's been artificially disgraced and then planted into Costello's crime operation as a seemingly trustworthy soldier. As the multilayered plot unfolds (courtesy of a scorching adaptation by Kingdom of Heaven screenwriter William Monahan), Costigan and Sullivan conduct a volatile search for each other (they're essentially looking for "themselves") while simultaneously wooing the psychiatrist (Vera Farmiga) assigned to treat their crime-driven anxieties.

Such convenient coincidences might sink a lesser film, but The Departed is so electrifying that you barely notice the plot-holes. And while Nicholson's profane swagger is too much "Jack" and not enough "Costello," he's still a joy to watch, especially in a film that's additionally energized by memorable (and frequently hilarious) supporting roles for Alec Baldwin, Mark Wahlberg, and a host of other big-name performers. The Departed also makes clever and plot-dependent use of cell-phones, to the extent that it couldn't exist without them. Powered by Scorsese's trademark use of well-chosen soundtrack songs (from vintage rock to Puccini's operas), The Departed may not be perfect, but it's one helluva ride for moviegoers, proving popular enough to become the biggest box-office hit of Scorsese's commercially rocky career. --Jeff Shannon

On the DVD
Introduced by director Martin Scorsese, the nine deleted scenes from The Departed are all interesting to watch, though not a significant loss from the picture. The other bonus features are very good as well. "Stranger Than Fiction: The True Story of Whitey Bulger, Southie, and The Departed" is a 21-minute history of the real-life Boston gangster Jack Nicholson's character was based on. Scorsese, screenwriter William Monahan, and a number of journalists are among those interviewed. In "Crossing Criminal Cultures" (24 minutes), Scorsese and the cast discuss gangster pictures and specifically Scorsese's. Consider that a warm-up for Scorsese on Scorsese, an 86-minute documentary from 2004. (It's the only bonus feature not available on the HD DVD or Blu-ray versions.) There's no narrator or interviewer: it's just Scorsese talking about his upbringing and influences. There's a generous use of clips through The Aviator and even his American Express commercial. --David Horiuchi

Beyond The Departed

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The original inspiration: Infernal Affairs

Customer Reviews

MARTIN SCORSESE FINALLY WON BEST DIRECTOR!!!! XD
How my ratings work:
5 - I really liked/loved it
4 - I liked it
3 - Could've been better/worth a look
2 - Just didn't live up to the potential
1 - Simply aweful

Was this the movie that Scorsese desearved the best director Oscar for? Some say yes, others say no. Personally I think Raging Bull and Goodfellas are the movies he should've won for. But I'm not gonna complain because the Academy finally recognized Scorsese. After 27 years of being nominated, he finally got the award he desearved. Not that he needed an oscar to prove his worth in the movie world. Scorsese is by far the one of the best directors of any generation. But this movie is still worth a watch. It's a rivetting tale of murder, deceit, and betrayel. Everyone gives it their all. Leonardo Di Caprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, and Mark Whalberg are all at the top of their game here. I don't really need to go into the plot details, there are plenty of other reviews on here that will do that for you.

"A Modern Classic for those Rat C@*k$uckers !!!
If not the best motion picture of all time. This has to be in the top 3!!!

When I first saw the trailers for this film on TV I was split down the middle. Being a massive fan of Martin Scorsese I was hooked. Yet never quite being a fan of Leonardo DiCaprio made me a bit indifferent. Then seeing the icon Jack Nicholson tagged to the picture gave my flesh goosebumps. The names Scorsese/Nicholson meant "Great Movie" to me. So because of that I avoided any remaining information about the picture so I could walk in opening weekend and be surprised.

Right from the outset with Jack's monologue of his harsh outlook on existence I was lost in the world of the South Boston underworld. Through police corruption via Matt Damon's character & vigilance through sacrifice from DiCaprio.
The movie further cemented itself in greatness with the amazing supporting cast. Martin Sheen brought in his 'A' game. Excitement and laughter came across me when I saw one of my favorites Alec Baldwin take the screen in a perfect role for him. Marc Walburg stepped up his dramatic chops even though his character most likely came natural for him. Matt Damon played the bit of hidden scumbag quite well. Then the biggest magic of all to me was that Scorsese was finally able to make a DiCaprio fan out of me with a very powerful performance.

The story was so intense & alive you are along for the journey the entire time. It's almost as living it through eyes of someone else. The brutal realism of the violence where none of it is played for shock value or over the top theatrics is the final piece of truth that Scorsese uses to bring this all to vibrant yet rough polish.

Yet to share one more thing with you all as to how great this film is. During the entire showing the first time I saw it on the big screen. My friend Dougie who tends to talk, talk talk & ramble on & on & on actually shut his mouth through the whole thing. SCORSESE IS GOD !

Now to this DVD version. The two-disc special edition is the ultimate. Not only because you have a copy of the widescreen version of 'the DEPARTED' you also have a disc of amazing special features. It's not cluttered yet they give you a deeper appreciation of the film.

*an incredible documentary about Whitey Bulger & the Irish mob of South Boston who the writer based the persona of Jack Nicholson's character on.
* Feature length documentary of the entire career of Martin Scorsese
*Featurette of Little Italy's crime & violence and how that and the crime drama genre influenced the mob films of Scorsese
*9 additional scenes with intros by Martin himself

Pick up this version if you are hunting for the perfect DVD of 'the Departed'!
Unless you have Blu-Ray this is the one.

No One Here Gets Out Alive
If you've gotten to the point where you're reading movie reviews, you probably don't need a plot synopsis, so let's skip it. So how good is this movie...? I would say that this movie is to cinema what "An American Tragedy" is to literature - the most poorly made great piece of work of its time.

It's a great movie in the following ways: 1) The script is tightly plotted. Nothing is superfluous, nothing is overdone or overlooked, and the REAL RARITY? YOU ACTUALLY HAVE TO PAY ATTENTION. If you miss a second of this movie, you won't understand how the rest of it unfolds. 2) It's nice to watch some of the best living American actors all do their thing in a single film. Mark Wahlberg and Leonardo DiCaprio turn in particularly fine performances, and Matt Damon seemed to be extending his range (happily), playing a character for whom one cannot feel sorry, nor want to take home to meet Mom. 3) Depending on how you feel about one liners generally, the one liners are good, and very apt. I could go on about the familial and racial subtexts here as well, but suffice it to say that there is more than one character trying to please Daddy, and if you're black, Italian, Arab or Catholic, the first twenty minutes won't give you the warm fuzzies.

The Departed is less than stellar in the following ways: 1) As mentioned in several other reviews, the ending is a bit ludicrous. It felt like plot twists were being made for their own sake, rather than for the good of the film or the story. Without being a spoiler, let me just say here that I DID respect the choice NOT to pander to the mass audience's sensibilities in terms of what happens to the "good" and "bad" guys, or to reveal too much information in the end. 2) A few of these (albeit brilliant) actors are cast as themselves. Jack Nicholson brought out Jack the bad guy/madman for us, and Alec Baldwin was as smarmy on screen as we filthy little pigs are accustomed to seeing him offscreen. Most of these actors really brought their A-games though. And really, are Jack and Alec playing themselves the worst thing you could watch? Methinks not! 3) Aside from the ending, my one complaint with the script is that it was over-plotted and under-characterized. There were so many plot lines (two A lines, as well as B and C lines) that there just wasn't time for the main characters to have much of an arc. From beginning to end, Costello is Costello, Sullivan is Sullivan and Costigan is Costigan. The only two characters who seem to take themselves off the path they initially set out on were Mark Wahlberg and Vera Farmiga's characters.

Departures in The Departed: Although the characters in this film are believeable and very well acted, make no mistake: this is a plot driven movie. This seems contrary to the recent films of most of the lead actors, as well as for director Martin Scorcese. Also, this is a film that was truly made in the editing room. Although DiCaprio and Damon have the two A plot lines, they're in only 2 or 3 scenes together. There's a lot of editorial juxtaposition, cutting back and forth, and it can get a bit obvious - and overbearing. Another departure from Scorcese's style can be found in the cinematography, which is tighter and less panaromic than he seems to prefer. However, once you've seen a shot of Jack Nicholson lit in redlight showering two half naked women in coke, you'll remember whose movie you're watching.

All in all, I would say buy the movie. But don't turn away - you'll miss something important.