Was anybody else kinda pissed when leonardo died.

DiCaprio nailed that role.

My heart actually hurt when the movie ended it was so good

Dicaprio plays a good man pretending to be a bad man- he goes through intense struggles internally sinking very low, but emerges stronger Damon plays a bad man pretending to be a good man- he rises in power outwardly but self destructs internally, becoming ever weaker They are direct contrasts of each other

I wouldn’t say that Colin owes Jack a lifetime of work for a bag of groceries. The scene is all about Jack showing Colin that working with him pays off.

Scorsese may be the greatest director. Of all time. Ever.

Scorsese is such a great filmmaker. he has a consistent body of work but every decade he releases that one definitive masterpiece. 70s was taxi driver, 80's was raging bull, 90's was goodfellas, 2000's was the departed and the 2010's is the wolf of wall street. what's funny is that my favorite Scorsese film is actually one not many people know about, and that's After Hours

For as much as people complained about the Irishman being too long, I think the Departed would have benefited heavily if it were 30 minutes longer. One of the best movies I’ve ever seen. Just love how real the characters feel and how intertwined their stories are. I’m also from Boston so it hit home for me.

I would suggest that Colin’s motivation was not to lead a normal life but rather to be someone important. The symbolism of the statehouse is Colin’s alluded-to political aspirations. Early in the film a cop buddy catches Colin staring at the statehouse dome and, knowing what he’s thinking says “forget about it. Your dad was a janitor, you’re a cop”, meaning basically “you’re nobody special, accept your station in life”, which is anathema to Colin. He deliberately buys an expensive apartment because of its view of the statehouse dome and at one point Madelyn answers Colin’s phone playfully saying “Mayor Sullivan’s office” indicating he has likely shared with her his political ambitions. At work he behaves very much like someone thinking about a political future: he climbs the ladder fast, schmoozes the brass and is conscientious about projecting an heroic image. I believe one of his major motivations for killing Frank is to cut ties that could haunt him as he enters public life and runs for office. Before shooting Frank he specifically asks if the FBI knows about him. It’s Billy I think who craves a simple, normal life. He has had enough of the hypocrisy of both high society and the criminal underworld and wants no part of either. He thought a life of service in the State Police might be a place for him but he became disillusioned by that as well. In the end I felt like the bigger message of The Departed was not “crime doesn’t pay” but rather- to paraphrase Frank’s observation- you can be a cop or a criminal, but in the end, what’s the difference?

The Departed is probably my favorite Scorsese film after Casino. Good points on Billy Costigan, whom I see as the conflicted moral center of this movie. Just about everybody else is doing their thing for some kind of gain. Costigan is trying to find a way to live with himself and can't, which makes him psychologically implode a long time before the bullet hits his brain.

The Departed is one of the few films that I can say I really love. I vaguely remember seeing it around the time it came out, in 2006, but I didn't actually *watch* it until a few years later. Personally, I found that I had to watch it a number of times to really grasp its entire depth and each time I did, it seemed to get better and better. The first time I really watched it, the quick sequence of deaths on the warehouse roof near the end of the movie (where Billy tries to arrest Colin) made me very aware of startling fragility of the human body, and of how quickly it can all end. This gave me a lingering but oddly exciting sense of my own mortality that no other movie has ever given me, and I have loved it ever since. I was really looking forward to this Film Dissection, and I subscribed to your channel after watching your video on "No Country For Old Men" (another favorite of mine). Thanks a lot, and I look forward to seeing more of your videos. PS. Unless I missed it in the list of your uploaded videos, I'd love to see your take on "There Will Be Blood" in the future! I think you mentioned it in the top 100 movies series, but it has a lot of complexities to be expounded upon and surely deserves its own video!

Marky Mark really comin in clutch at the end of the film

this is pretty good analysis. for some weird reason my favourite thing about the departed (outside of dicaprio) is the amazing editing. it gives the movie so much energy and communicates so much.

Thank you for mentioning Infernal Affairs!

Cant get over at how at 2:15 Nicholson looks like an aged DiCaprio. It really reinforces the theme that Damons and Leos characters are similar.

This was a great video, as usual. Can't wait for the episode on zodiac!

This is my favorite movie of all time, I'm so glad you did this one! I had hoped to see this movie have an analyzing video essay done about it and it's finally been done justice. I have watched Internal Affairs and like the Departed better (and saw it first) as well. You did a superb job, as usual, and even though I don't like commenting I had to let you know.

One of my Favs. Good Job, Jack.

Great video, Jack! You'll hit 10k this month - that's insane!

The departed is one of my favourite films so happy you covered it. You should do a film dissection of Silence when it comes out. Keep up the great work.

Your content keeps getting better and better. Been crazy watching your channel grow. First time I've commented. Thanks, buddy! Oh, and your voice sounds like liquid gold ;)

What a thoughtful and thorough analysis of "The Departed" , also one of my favorite films in the works of Martin Scorsese since "Goodfellas" (1990). Could you please do the same thorough break down and analysis of both "Donnie Brasco" (1997) and "American Gangster" (2007)? That would be awesome! Thanks again for your thoughts and insights, Jack.

You give such awesome reviews and dissections of all of my favorite movies.

I have new favorite channel, your comment on Crispwell's Cowboy Bebop video caught my attention. Brilliant work sir, absolutely brilliant.

Your comment on Channel Criswell's new vid brought me here. Great job, and subbed!

Great video! Def one of Scorsese's best films!

"Since i was born i've been in search of a normal life and i've never been able to find one" - Sonny Liston

Thanks for the videos, it helps me a lot with the themes! If you could go really deep on these themes someday I would really enjoy it because you have much more to say that I want to hear! Thanks!

Great vid Jack! Finally someone analyzed this movie. I always really enjoyed it, but I never quite got what specifically characters were going through. Everyone praises Leo and Mark Wahlberg, but how about Damon huh? He's so good at playing bad guys. I didn't realize that both desire a normal life, but it makes total sense. Maybe this came out in Infernal Affairs more? I haven't seen it so...

Another one of my favs Good analysis.

If they're lucky, directors make one classic film in their career. Martin Scorsese has one per decade (Taxi Driver in the '70s, Raging Bull in the '80s, Goodfellas in the '90s). His 2006 Irish Mafia masterpiece kept the streak alive

This is one of my All time favorite movies. Watched it 20 times. Idc if it's a remake of infernal affairs. The contrast between characters and how they interact w the ppl most intimate to them is done beautifully. We're all either Billy's or Sullivan's in this world...to a degree obviously. Or a Dignam and Frenchie.

Another thing I noticed is the song if I am correct is sailing up Boston. Took me a while to realize but the lyrics “Climbing up the top sails I lost my leg” suits the stories of the characters

I liked this film a lot. Only saw it once but I left thinking it was one or two elements short of the masterpiece it might have been. Now, I think I appreciate it even more than before. Thanks. Good review.

Great review, as usual. Thanks for your work. Really looking forward to watching Zodiac's review. I've seen it several times and I really don't get it. I miss some of the deeper reviews as in Shame's. I hope you can find the time for one of those. Anyway, shorter or longer I'd like to know your opinion on Nightcrawler. Regards!

i'm binge-watching yout videos, great channel!

Billy’s background is too sketchy but nobody knew Colin was connected to Costello from a young age?

I didn't watch this until juts a few months ago and I was blown away at how good it was I can't believe i didn't hear about it when it came out

I think direction in The departed is much better and screenplay in Infernal Affairs is much better

This movie is one of my all time favorites. Definitely top 5

2:45 no... Costello tried to shoot him. Notice how at some point in the movie Costello makes a comparison between one of the main characters and hes dad. He said that hes dad would kill seven men just to kill him. And that is what the main character did.

My fave movie along with Leon The Professional so damn good, the storyline, the perfect acting, the music etc

As an Irish/scotish guy and a film fan I love this film almost as much as goodfellas.fantastic analysis.

Great vid, do more scorcesse films please !

I discovered Scorsese with the Irishman and now I'm going back through all of his movies. He's a genius

Definitely one of my favorite movies

Could you please consider doing a dissection of 'The Conversation' at some point in the future?

nice job dude btw u have a typo in description bets/best

THE DEPARTED is my #1 favorite movie of all times! Honestly, it's Scorsese's best movie he ever made! It was one of the first films I saw in cinema and that day I even didn't know what kind of movie I'm going on.. just bought a ticket with my friend and went for a movie no one knew about! Thanks)

I disagree completely with your analysis of the characters' motivations.

truly the greatest movie ever made

0:59 isn't just about the dog 'not paying attention to him'. The owner of the dog pulls the leash away from him too. Even the owner thought he was sketch.

Best film of the 2000s

Why did you flip the scene at 1:13?

Something I thought was good imagery/foreshadowing was when Costello drew the picture of the rats outside the building that is used a lot in the movie and burns it showing everything was going to shit from that point on. There were rats everywhere and everyone was going to get the worst outcome that they’d never hoped for. It goes full circle when Damon’s character dies as there is only one rat left that walks off screen symbolising the final rat had gone and nobody won.

Great analysis. I believe costigan was also turned down because of his temper and violent tendencies which wouldn’t work with the staties

The dog didn't pay him no attention, it actively avoided him. Thought it was a great touch.

Your movie reviews and analysis are some of the best I’ve seen on KZfaq, and this is no exception. Keep up the amazing work. My only point of differentiation regards Colin: I don’t know that his motivation or intention was ever to do good things and be normal, but that he wanted power, and was caught in a double identity rat trap (hence giving him no real identity) that would always prevent him from getting it. I think he was conditioned to live in that trap, and his murder of Frank was to save himself from punishment, plain and simple. There’s also some interesting theories out there on his latent homosexuality, that would align with his identity crisis, and issues with his girlfriend.

"Any of you mugs got a light?"

Great review!! What do you think of the ending, especially what Dignam does at the end ??

I had to watch with subtitles, and I’m (true) Irish ☘️

This movie is perfect.

Was anyone else really annoyed with the music in this movie? I felt that scenes which were serious had really annoying lighthearted music playing in the background which completely ruined the scenes. Overall, this movie was okay. There were plenty of potholes, terrible music placement, and seemed as if everything was really rushed at the end. I'd say the horrendous music placement is what threw me off the most and really took away from important scenes. I will not be watching it again.

The Dephaaahhhhteeed.

good movie taker!!

I personally like "Infernal Affairs" (Hong Kong) a lot more than "The Departed", as good as it was. Infernal Affairs was more original in many aspects in comparison. Whereas, The Departed seems more derivative of similar stories, which I find distracting. I saw Infernal Affairs before seeing The Departed. Maybe that had an effect on my experience, though so much was different in The Departed that I never even thought of Infernal Affairs while I was watching it. Both are excellent films. I find them different enough, that in the end, they both stand firmly on their own merits.

Very nice analysis, but don't you think this movie is dwarfed when compared to the original Chinese version "infernal affairs"?

I disagree about your take on Goodfellas. In the end, Henry mentions being just another nobody with nothing. He lives, but only by subjecting himself to the mercy of the law and selling out his connections. He doesn’t live as lavishly as he used to. That doesn’t seem like a portrayal of reward in my eyes. Still, great analysis on The Departed. Love your videos.

Could you do a dissection of A History of Violence?

This movie is perfect

the Departed changed a bit of the story so that there are a bit more motive to the characters, and the character of Madolyn was very interesting as well, pulling Billy and Colin a bit closer. but the personality of each character is a bit more vivid in the Internal Affairs. The handler of Billy's character in IA has a lot more depth to it, both being an asshole and caring, instead of having two separate characters like in Departed. The bonding between the handler and Billy in IA is therefore a lot stronger, which makes the death of the handler a lot more epic and disastrous to Billy. And I didnt understand why Dignam's character was like this, how come Queenan and Dignam would work together? If its a "Good Cop Bad Cop" scenario, then why didnt Dignam look for Billy when Queenan died. instead just killing Colin for revenge? Of course, its a satisfying ending, but if shooting a guy with a silencer was an option, then why bother having the whole story in the first place? Dicaprio's acting was outstanding tho, and he portrays Billy's contradiction perfectly.

my top five movies: 1)Pirates of the carribean dead men tell no tales/at world's end 2) avengers endgame 3) world war Z 4) the departed 5) Cap america the winter soldier

You can't beat Scorsese, man! He's the master filmmaker!

Please do Apocalypse Now and There Will Be Blood. Thanks.

ya forgot to add about symbolic X in the analysis which quite surprising

Can't pan up, it's called a tilt

holy smokes the wolverine takeing out dark vader and then takeing out by the lords dog cause dude took out his master what a trip

I'm seeing silence next week it expands to its widest release 55 theatres total. But this is my top 10 of Scorsese 10. Cape fear 9. Wolf Of Wallstreet 8. Age Of Innocence 7. The Last Temptation of Christ 6. Bringing out the dead 5. Taxi Driver 4. Raging Bull 3. Mean Streets 2. The Departed 1. Goodfellas.

"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?" castello

This movie is pretty much my favorite movie.

The more I think about it was Alec Baldwin an inside man for Costello ? He seemed to be apathetic towards Dignam when he he got into the verbal altercation with Colin. And then gives him two weeks off. There’s a lot of things that throw you off in the movie

Surprised you didn't mention the rat running along the bannister during that final pan up after Damon is killed. Also the bad things Leo did were to bad people. Unless I'm missing something. In the words of Omar from The Wire "It's all in the game, yo."

Even a dog dislikes him

Gotta be my favorite movie of all time. Possibly seen this movie 100 times

This movie was what karma means if it were people the perfect example the ending with the rat scaling the window was absolute genius a few years back I had no idea what it meant now I do

Just disinherited watching this movie. The final moments were just shocking.

I hereby nominate Vera Farmiga for Most Underappreciated Supporting Actress Award.

I have to be honest, I didn't think that this was a *great* movie. Was it good? Yeah. Was it really good? Sure. But did it live up to my expectations as being one of the greatest of all time? Not in the least. I feel like maybe the cinematography and pace had to do with it. Everything in the movie happened so fast I barely had time from scene to scene to process all the information coming at me. And trust me, I'm a huge Scorsese fan (Taxi Driver is one of my favorites of all time), but this movie didn't feel thoughtful like some of his others I've seen (Like Taxi Driver). It was very difficult for me to explore each character, and thus, felt very surface.

I think William Costigan Jr. was allowed to be in the Police but that undercover work would be better. If not, it makes no sense to offer undercover work (He is still in the Police files, he is still a Police Officer.) as why would you send a mob guy undercover into the mob? Edit: This is not a free-lance thing.

You say crime doesn’t pay as you show a 70 year old dying. Crime payed off pretty well and he lived a full life of crime and excitement

Does this mean you are gonna cover Black Mass next? I know it was more accurate in regards to the life of Whitey Bulger but I liked The Departed better.

I love IF trilogy way more even if im big western movies fan

This is the greatest movie ever made and Scorsese is world's best director ever

You got several things wrong with the opening scene, it starts with a rat and the movie ends with the rat. Good observation on the grocery bag I never noticed that. But you say Colin's parents are dead and nowhere does it say that. You could try and imply it but that would he really irresponsible because you'd have to forget all the times in the movie he talks about his "pops" in front of Queenan... I think this movies more complex than you are giving it credit for. But good on you for making content...

Good work dissecting this film but I do not agree with what you said about Goodfellas’ message and that Scorsese’s messages in Goodfellas and Departed contradict themselves...he has stated in many interviews how Goodfellas is a story about how crime doesn’t pay and how everybody pays, much like Departed and agree with that.

Have you ever wondered why did they use a stunt double at 1:07? I mean its obvious that its not Matt Damon lying in blood.

Martin Scorsese is the best at making movie endings

“Internal affairs”

Well being a huge fan of Scorsese, I hate to admit that I haven't seen The Departed yet. After watching your very insightful movie analysis and breakdown, I'll make sure to check it out. Looks like I'm going to love it! Thanks for another great dissection!

Nicholson's Boston accent was the worst I've seen in a major film. But it's Jack Nicholson so he got by on his pure mojo. They nailed the rest of what Boston was about and I am from Southie and know ever location in this film like my back yard.