At a certain point in Martin Scorsese's "The Departed," Irish crime boss Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson) asks one of his cronies how his mother is doing. "She's on her way out," the crony replies with a nervous smirk on his face. "We all are," says Costello. "Act accordingly." Clearly these lines have darkly humorous undertones that force giggles out of the audience. But by the time the end of the film is reached, they take on a completely different connotation. How appropriate for a film of amazing depth and complexity; one should never take lines like that for granted, especially when they're used for foreshadowing. Likewise, one should never take an entire film for granted. On the surface, "The Departed" is nothing more than an obscenely violent gangster flick. But at its core, it's a thought provoking character study, one that purposely and effectively raises questions about identity, loyalty, and trust.

As a filmmaker, Scorsese clearly knows how he wants a story to be told. You can tell this is so from the camera angles, editing techniques, dialogue, all of which hint at deeper meaning lying within a shallow facade of blood, bullets, and cruelty. This film makes use of some especially clever storytelling methods, made even better by subtle character development-methods. I don't know whether or not it matters that this is an American remake of "Mou Gaan Duo (Infernal Affairs)," the 2002 Hong Kong crime thriller directed by Siu Fai Mak. While Scorsese's version pays homage to the original story idea, it still seems as if it were made to stand on its own. And no wonder; such talent, both in front of and behind the camera, made for a truly unique film experience.

The opening scenes effectively hide Costello in shadow, as if to metaphorically say that the truth of the story is hidden throughout much of the film. In terms of the characters and their knowledge, this is true; taking place in South Boston, the plot focuses on two moles, each from opposite sides of the law, each planted within their rival's respective organizations. It starts with Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon), who as a young boy was taken under Costello's wing and raised to be a criminal in the Irish mafia. As an adult, he infiltrates the Massachusetts State Police department as Costello's informer. What an interesting development; the police are desperately trying to catch Costello, but Sullivan's secretive interference foils every attempt. If there's any hope in cracking down on this ruthless crime boss, someone has to infiltrate his organization.

Here enters Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio), a young undercover cop whose dedication to the law is the result of terrible family connections. He meets the soft-spoken Oliver Queenan (Martin Sheen) and the hard nosed, foulmouthed Dignam (Mark Wahlberg), who both assign him to infiltrate the mob syndicate, specifically in an attempt to foil a deal with the Chinese mafia (which involves super high tech computer chips). Costigan is reluctant to be a part of the operation, especially since Dignam didn't exactly welcome him into the department. However, he agrees to take part. In order to convince Costello that Costigan is an actual criminal and not a cop, Costigan intentionally serves time in jail. It's only after his sentence is served, and after a series of elaborately planned circumstances, that he joins with Costello. Initially, things go well for the case; Costigan quickly gains Costello's confidence, which in turn gives the police hope that enough evidence can be gathered.

Then things start to go downhill. Sullivan, who has yet to be discovered, is rising to a position of power in the Special Investigation Unit. What's worse, the department begins to suspect that a mole may in fact have been assigned as a police officer. Sullivan is told to weed out this mole, an act that understandably creates tension between various members of the department, especially Sullivan and Dignam. It's also creating tension between Sullivan and the police psychiatrist, Madolyn (Vera Farmiga), who have recently started dating. She wants to know more about the man she thinks she loves, yet he continually evades her inquiries with his quick wit and devilish charm. He eventually tells her that certain aspects of his job can't be discussed, a quality she accepts and simultaneously finds troubling.

Things aren't going much better for Costigan, who's feeling more and more consumed by the role he's playing (he eventually begins to abuse prescription medications). His frustration goes even deeper when he shows feelings for Madolyn (as part of his job, he's required to meet with her every week). As carefully as he can, he gathers information about the organization he's become a part of, both the plans and the counter-plans. But through a mixture of mob-related events and Sullivan's insider tips for Costello (achieved by faking a phone conversation with his father), the threat of exposure suddenly looms over Costigan. The same threat faces Sullivan, whose involvement with the case makes it more and more difficult to remain on friendly terms with the department. For both men, it ultimately becomes a race to uncover the identity of the other mole.

The most fascinating moments in the film occur within the final forty-five minutes; without giving too much away, I can say that that period of time allows for the unveiling of crucial details and for certain characters to make decisions. It's also when a majority of the violence takes place, all of which is quick, brutal, and lacking in drama. The death scenes (and there are quite a few of them) are cold and unceremonious, indelicately accentuated with the sight of blood. I say "accentuated," but in reality, the gore isn't entertaining so much as it's a way of condemning the heartless world of crime, a world the audience knows Frank Costello will never leave. He's pure evil, right down to his graying goatee.

Of course, the violence factor is not a reason for recommending "The Departed." I want the moviegoing public to experience it for its humanity, for it's willingness to show that people sometimes make choices for no apparent reason. The plot is a bit convoluted, and I have to admit that it took me a while to sort out all the intricate details. However, it's still something people should go see, if not for the character analysis, then for the strong performances and excellent direction. At last, it would seem that Martin Scorsese has returned to his roots in the crime genre. As far as I'm concerned, it couldn't have come at a better time.

- Chris Pandolfi

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