Christian Ethics and the Movies
Human Corruption: The Departed (2006)
Reviewed by David A. Thomas, Assoc. Prof. of Rhetoric Emeritus University of Richmond
In 2006, Martin Scorsese finally got his Best Director Oscar, after five previous unsuccessful nominations. His movie, The Departed also won for the year`s Best Picture, in a wide-open field that included The Queen, Showgirls, Babel, and Little Miss Sunshine. All of these nominees, including The Departed, had their strong advocates, yet each of them had shortcomings. Some of Scorsese`s admirers were heard to say that this year his win was based on the sympathy vote for having lost so many times previously. Compared with his previous five losses, The Departed, some said, is his sixth best movie. He himself has stated, perhaps seriously, that it is his first movie with a real plot.
Set in the present day, the conflict at the heart of the drama is the ongoing war between the Massachusetts State Police in Boston (the "Staties") and the city`s crime empire of Irish mafia boss Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson). It`s all about the drug trade. Investigation is largely a matter of using informants. The Departed focuses on the youthful undercover Staties out on the streets, embedded by the cops as soldiers within the drug underworld, trying to generate enough evidence to convict Costello. It works both ways: Costello has his own men implanted within the State Police, tipping him off to their plans and their next scheduled raids. To be either an informant-or a corrupt turncoat Statie-is a very dangerous occupation.
Leonardo DiCaprio`s character, a brand new Police Academy graduate, accepts an assignment to go undercover and work himself into a trusted position within the Costello crime hierarchy. But he is always in danger of being discovered, either from making a mistake, or from treachery from within the State Police. He is always looking over his shoulder. He has to walk a tightrope between becoming a felon himself (in order to warrant Costello`s trust), and keeping his identity secret from the State Police (except for his immediate superior officer, the only person he feels he can safely contact).
The "Departed" mentioned in the movie title represent those unlucky enough to get caught (by either side) and disposed of in the patented Scorsese way, with lots of violence. The world of Scorsese`s Boston is shown to be a full-scale war on the streets. By the story`s end, there`s a very high body count. The movie combines action and suspense. Besides Nicholson and DeCaprio, the star-studded cast includes Martin Sheen as Costello`s counterpart, Captain Queenan of the State Police. Most of the focus is on younger actors like Matt Damon and Mark Wahlberg, as the Staties who carry most of the action in the streets. You are kept guessing about who`s honest and who`s corrupt-you never know on whose side each new character will turn out to be.
Martin Scorcese was originally a Catholic seminarian who, as a young man, aspired to the priesthood. Obviously, five wives and some children later, he chose a different vocation. Critical interest in his films resides in the fact that they generally revolve around moral and ethical issues. Think of his previous productions like Taxi Driver, Goodfellas, and The Last Temptation of Christ. In The Departed, as in some of the other films mentioned, the Catholic Church has its own minor supporting role-a role of decidedly mixed ethical virtues.
Critics note that in a Scorsese movie, violence is always cathartic. As in real life, his characters are complex, a blend of both good and evil deeply rooted within their souls. The good guys have tragic flaws, and a few of the villains have at least some redeeming qualities. Gang boss Costello slips into a father figure role to DeCaprio`s character. Ironically, the cops and the crooks have so much in common, they inevitably develop personal relationships. Sometimes, they even claim blood ties. But they don`t let that get in the way of whacking somebody if the need arises.
The Departed is inappropriate for consideration for a church movie discussion group. It is extremely violent, and the characters habitually use profanities. The dialogue is realistic and gritty. The characters all talk like Boston`s cops and robbers. (Cast members Wahlberg and Damon, in fact, are Southies themselves. Their accent is truly authentic!) The larger theme of the movie is the intrinsic corruption at the heart of humankind, no matter which side of the law they are on. In Scorsese`s vision, ultimately, crime does not pay.
You could look at this movie as a microcosm of ordinary families, especially those afflicted with drugs and alcohol. Or you could look it as an allegory of the global situation today. If you can tolerate the language and gore, you can even look at it simply as Hollywood entertainment at its best, as long as your youngest kids are already asleep.
