Review: The Film, The Departed...

There is duality in all of us. Duality in human nature means we all carry opposing traits, emotions, and impulses that shape who we are. Sometimes they balance out, sometimes they don’t. The concept has been explored numerous times in literature, art, film, streaming shows, and even comic books–Batman, anyone? But what are the lessons we can learn from this concept? More to the point, what messages can we glean from the artists who tackle this concept?

Martin Scorsese (Casino) often explores this duality—saint and sinner, public virtue and private vice, order and chaos—reflecting his Catholic upbringing in such films as The Last Temptation of Christ (1988), Mean Streets (1973), and Goodfellas (1990). He returns again to this idea in The Departed (2006), and has a few things to say about it. 

Based on an original film, Internal Affairs (2002), by Alan Mak (Overheard) and Felix Chong (Project Gutenberg), this film follows a cat-and-mouse game between the Massachusetts State Police and the Irish-American mob in South Boston. There are dual moles working for each side: Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon, The Odyssey), and Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio, One Battle After Another) work at cross purposes, balance their loyalties, and question their actions at every turn. As soon as both the police and the Irish mob learn that there is a rat within their ranks, both moles use whatever resources at their disposal to thwart the other. The ending revolves in true Shakespearean-tragedy fashion, where a bullet signifies everyone's just desserts.

Essentially, Scorsese uses duality to show how corruption blurs the fragile line between criminals and police. Costigan is an undercover cop posing as a gangster, while Sullivan is a criminal acting as a cop. The auteur also shows how pretending to be someone else can force a person to compromise their own values. Institutional corruption also acts as an example of duality: both the mob and the state police rely on paranoia, surveillance, and betrayal, showing that the two sides often use the same questionable tactics. 

Scorsese presents recurring visual motifs to reinforce the film’s themes of betrayal, surveillance, and impending doom. He uses overt “X” shapes in a scene’s background when murder is discussed or right before a character dies. These Xs show up throughout the film on windows, elevator doors, structural beams, and lighting fixtures. This visual motif pays tribute to the classic 1932 gangster film Scarface, which famously used Xs to foreshadow violence. Rats symbolize betrayal, informants, and the double lives led by the main characters. Frank Costello sketches rats during meetings, while the film famously ends with a real rat crawling across the balcony railing outside Sullivan’s window. Color palettes offer motifs of their own. Blue often surrounds Colin Sullivan, connecting him to the somber, institutional worlds of both the police force and the Irish mob. Brown and earthy tones often surround Billy Costigan, reflecting his working-class roots and isolation, while red signals danger, violence, and Costello’s corrupting influence. 

A star-studded cast brings the characters to life with intense performances shaped by moral conflict and psychological tension. DiCaprio gives an intense, psychologically exhausting, and deeply emotional performance as an undercover cop struggling with anxiety, pressure, and a fractured sense of identity. With a repressed tension, Damon captures the paranoia of a man living a double life, balancing Sullivan’s polished public image with the quiet desperation of a corrupt man whose lies are unraveling. Jack Nicholson (As Good as It Gets) gives a wildly unpredictable, menacing, and theatrical performance as mob boss Frank Costello, with his improvisational style dividing viewers—some feel his over-the-top energy makes Costello more dangerous and unpredictable, while others find it too exaggerated to be believable. Mark Wahlberg (Boogie Nights) gives a fiery, foul-mouthed performance as Staff Sergeant Sean Dignam, making the most of his limited screen time with rapid-fire insults and aggressive delivery that earned him the film’s only acting Oscar nomination. Serving as the key emotional anchor for the male-dominated film, Vera Farmiga (Up in the Air), as Dr. Madolyn Madden,  plays the romantic partner of both Sullivan and Costigan with grounded and emotional honesty, processing the moral ambiguity and deceit of the plot. Martin Sheen (Apocalypse Now) adds gravitas to the calm, grounding, and tragic Captain Oliver Queenan. 

Despite its Academy Awards Best Picture win, critics point out the over-the-top performances and the formulaic plot. Aside from Nicholson’s polarizing reviews, some note that DiCaprio and Damon deliver far more memorable performances in other films. There are plot and logic holes as well. It’s hard to believe that Costello doesn’t suspect Billy is an undercover cop, given his constant anxiety and suspicious behavior. Sergeant Dignam’s decision to walk away after Captain Queenan’s death feels a bit forced, making the later plot twists seem overly convenient. Critics also note the imbalanced police effort; while the mob actively hunts for rats, the police department drags their feet. I wholly disagree with this last point, since Sullivan, as the mob’s mole within the police department, would realistically do the minimum required to find said mole, especially since he is the rat. 

Added to Scorsese's filmography, The Departed further evaluates his common themes and offers much to say about duality. I highly recommend this film.