Departed, The (4K Ultra HD)

He has made good musicals (New York, New York), surreal comedies (After Hours), satires (The King of Comedy) and biopics (The Aviator), but Martin Scorsese has never done better than the times he's dealt with life on the streets and gangsters. Mean Streets, Goodfellas and Casino (and, to some degree, Taxi Driver) are proof of that. It doesn't seem strange, then, that his finest film in over a decade (Goodfellas was released in 1990) sees him return to that familiar ground. With a few changes. The Departed, based on Hong Kong thriller Infernal Affairs (2002), is Scorsese's first gangster film not to feature Italian-American criminals. In fact, this film is set in Boston, where the Irish rule. One of these "godfathers" is Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson), the man the State Police want the most. After years of investigation, they're finally getting close, thanks to undercover agent Billy Costigan (Leonardo Di Caprio). Because of his family (all Irish, all bad), becoming a member of Costello's crew isn't that difficult. Now all Costigan has to do is report to his superiors, Queenan (Martin Sheen) and Dignam (Mark Wahlberg), who will pass on the information to Ellerby's (Alec Baldwin) Special Investigations Unit. What they don't know is that Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon), the most promising element of said unit, has been on Costello's payroll since he was 12. Soon enough, both cops and crooks become aware of the situation, beginning a manhunt that's gonna make the already fragile Billy even more nervous and Costello increasingly crazier. By moving from Hong Kong to Boston, Scorsese and screenwriter William Monahan have made the first step in ensuring this film will be quite different from its Chinese inspiration. Another significant factor is the running time: a mere 97 minutes for Infernal Affairs, 150 for The Departed. This is due to new characters (Dignam and Costello's henchman Mr French, played by Ray Winstone, were missing in the original) and subplots, such as the one concerning Madolyn (Vera Farmiga), a psychiatrist who gets emotionally involved with both of the moles. But the most crucial difference is in the depiction of the underworld: whereas IA was stylish without being excessive, Scorsese's vision comprises very colorful language (some insults are so creative one might expect Joe Pesci to show up) and, of course, buckets of blood, the last part of the movie proving to be particularly shocking. None of the scenes ever reach the gross-out level of Casino's head-in-the-vice scene, but in pure Scorsese tradition it remains unflinchingly violent (also notable is the music, perfectly setting the mood, scene after scene, alongside Thelma Schoonmaker's impeccable editing). Amidst these brutal surroundings, the director handles a spot-on cast: Baldwin, Sheen and Wahlberg (the latter finally back on form) make good use of their little screen time, Damon fine-tunes the edgier side he showed in The Talented Mr Ripley and the Bourne movies, and Nicholson, playing the villain again at last, delivers another OTT but classy turn (original choice Robert De Niro would probably have played the part with more calm and subtlety). A special mention is needed for Di Caprio: working with Scorsese for the third consecutive time, he has finally found a way to shake off his Titanic image, thanks to a vulnerable, gripping (and arguably career-best) performance. With its clever plot, excellent acting and expert direction, The Departed is without doubt the year's best film so far. If this really is going to be his last gangster film (he has said so), as well as his last studio-endorsed picture, Scorsese can be proud, given the masterpiece he has given us.

This movie is completely absorbing. It tells the tale of the Boston criminal Whitey Bulger - sort of. That's not his name in the movie, nor was it the outcome that Mr. Bulger deserved. You really feel for the characters, both undercover (Leo) and within the police force (Martin Sheen). I never care for Mark Wahlberg but he's good in this movie. Nicholson as always, gives a great performance and he is a completely menacing, frightening guy. There is violence so if you're really sensitive you might want to skip. The score is also great, not intrusive but memorable.

This is an amazing 4K transfer that breathes new life into The Departed. I never thought the Blu-Ray looked bad, but watching the 4K, the colors are so much warmer and there is a very noticeable uptick in clarity that almost make the standard Blu-Ray look a bit blurry. If you were on the fence about getting the 4K or upgrading your Blu-Ray, I highly recommend that you do. Product was shipped to me in South Africa and arrived undamaged and in pristine condition.

I think this is a must own for any Scorcese fan, and anyone who loves crime dramas. Full of great actors and great performances. Unofficial story of Whitey Bulger, the Boston mafia crime boss. I truly think it gets better with every watch. And Vera Farmiga is so good in this I can’t believe she didn’t get a ton of leading rolls right after.

The cast here is fantastic, and Leo DiCaprio has got to be one of the most interesting actors of his generation. He is versatile and fearless in a way that I have not seen in a long time. The fact that Martin Scorsese and other A-list directors continue to seek him out for their films is a testimony to his talent. He is supported by some heavy hitters in this film, but he really carries this movie. This was also a plum role for Jack Nicholson, who is a lot of fun to watch here. Of course, you have to wonder if this is really acting for Jack -- the character of Frank Costello almost appears to have been based on Jack's own personality. I find it a little confusing to put Mark Wahlberg and Matt Damon in the same movie... is it just me, or is it difficult to tell these two guys apart? All in all I think it's a pretty powerful film, and the ending packs quite a punch. I really enjoyed this movie, but I have to say that it is not Martin Scorsese's BEST work. I have heard people compare it to Goodfellas, and that movie is just so well crafted, this one just doesn't quite come up to that level. Goodfellas is one of those few movies that if it's on, even in an edited version on TV, I can't change the channel -- I'm stuck there watching right up to the part where you see Henry Hill out in his bathrobe collecting his newspaper, missing his days as a gangster, when he was a big shot (and complaining about the fact that he's now just an average schnook who can't get a decent dish of spaghetti now that he's in the witness protection program...). After watching The Departed once, I'm sure I'll probably want to see it again at some point, but I just don't see it becoming one of my favorite movies.

Excellent movie

Classic movie, with a great cast and captivating story!

Non recensisco la trama del film, vista la fama che ha e anche perché l'ho acquistato per inserirlo nei miei preferiti di Leonardo DiCaprio. Un cast eccellente, con DiCaprio, Jack Nicholson, Matt Damon, Mark Wahlberg e Martin Sheen. Il tutto arricchito dalla regia del grande Martin Scorsese. Di fatto il film ha vinto l'Oscar per miglior regia, miglior film, miglior montaggio e sceneggiatura non originale. Un gran bel film. Per quanto riguarda il venditore, ha eseguito la spedizione in totale tranquillità e normalità, rispettando le tempistiche. Il resto è OK

Such a good movie

I got this in a fantastic price of 299 in amazon. A fantastic product and a very good service by amazon. Well, one of Martin Scorsese's best motion picture. Leonardo Dicaprio, Jack Nicholson & Matt Damon, this makes a whole awesome combination altogether. A must watch.

Llegó bien protegido, sin daños y con un bonito slipcover. La imagen es muy buena, ganado puntos extras en nitidez y saturación del color, así como el brillo y la profundidad de los negros. El audio en inglés DTS-HD MA 5.1 es muy bueno y potente, sin presentar artefactos o ruido de fondo. También trae español latino Dolby Digital 2.0 y subtítulos en ambos idiomas. El código digital es válido para USA.

This 151 min crime, drama, adventure REGION B/2 DVD is one of the best films I have seen for quite a while. For a gangster/undercover film it seemed to have everything, a good story line, action, suspense, drama and more twists and turns than the Swiss Alps road system. The film did include bad language, violence and the odd adult scene but in my opinion was part and parcel of the film. The DVD is a two disc set with disc one the main feature and disc two the bonus feature that includes - additional scenes with introductions by Martin Scorsese - Stranger than fiction: The story of the Boston Mob: The real life gangster behind Jack Nicholson's character - Crossing criminal cultures: How little Italy's crime and violence influence Scorsese's work - Theatrical trailer. Rookie cop Billy Castigan (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 Daman) has everyone's trust. No one suspects he's Costello's mole.