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Last updated: 03 Jul 2026 at 23:43 UTC

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Review of by Billie P — 08 Aug 2013

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The Departed (2006) is an excellent remake of Chinese film Infernal Affairs (2002) but is ultimately more than that. Although The Departed borrows several of the same themes and motifs and plot builds, and fans will notice that some scenes are near-identical, director Martin Scorcese uses this story as a vehicle to deal with something profoundly spiritual.

Whereas Infernal Affairs gives obvious nods to Buddhism, Scorcese seems to be drawing from his Catholic upbringing, incorporating Catholic ideas about community, loyalty, and justice. (So it seems to me, at any rate.

) Regarding the plot here, a young man named Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio) gets sent in to infiltrate the inner workings of Frank Costello's (Jack Nicholson) Irish crime syndicate, while at the same time a man named Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon) is both a state police trooper and a rat for this Costello character.

And then the movie twists and turns. This is one of Scorsese's best.

This review of The Departed (2006) was written by on 08 Aug 2013.

The Departed has generally received very positive reviews.

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