The Departed (2006) ✦ Full-Length Watchalong Reaction
Added 2025-05-28 22:45:01 +0000 UTCHi everyone! Thank you to all of you who voted in the Martin Scorsese poll, even if you didn't vote for this movie specifically. I truly appreciate everyone who takes the time to vote. 🥰
As for this movie... it's been on my list to watch forever and I am so thrilled that I now have! I had no clue what it was about going in, nor who was in it aside from Leo DiCaprio. This was definitely a movie to know nothing about, that's for sure. I already can't wait to give it a rewatch, especially to get a bit more understanding in that first hour. The last 30 minutes or so was shock after shock. I'm already realizing there are things I didn't even talk about in the review. 😂 This reaction has been put in the editing queue for the YouTube channel. [Direct link here.]
Please enjoy! And I'm looking forward to your comments. 😄
✦ KL
Comments
Fantastic movie and fun reaction. This is very much one of those movies that’s an absolute delight to watch again for the first time thru someone else’s eyes. I remember when I saw this in the theater and Bill Costigan was killed in the elevator, wondering if it might not be a remake of an Asian crime movie. Of course, it was. I wasn’t clairvoyant, at all. But I am familiar with foreign films and have a particular love for foreign crime movies. And killing the protagonist near the end of the movie was just such an Asian crime drama thing to do. After seeing the credits and finding out the source movie, I immediately rented “Infernal Affairs” and enjoyed it immensely. But, from a screenwriting perspective, the real genius was marrying the story of a Hong Kong crime drama with the story of Whitey Bulger, the Irish mob boss from Boston. Bulger was an informant for the FBI and continued robbing, assaulting and murdering his fellow Bostonians even after becoming an informant. Eventually, the press found out about it and the FBI went from protecting Bulger to pursuing him (he fled and was missing for more than a decade). Eventually, he was caught and died in Federal prison. He was joined in prison by his childhood friend and FBI handler, who had helped cover up Bulger’s ongoing criminal activities. It was certainly a shameful day in the already dubious history of the FBI. I have no idea how it occurred to the screenwriter to marry an Asian crime drama with the true story of an Irish gangster from Boston, much less how he managed to carry it off so well. But the result was a brilliant script that became a top tier Martin Scorsese film. And it doesn’t get much better than that.
Just Plain Bob
2025-07-12 04:11:44 +0000 UTCFair point!
kaiielle
2025-05-29 19:31:55 +0000 UTCThis is one of those films that no matter how many times I've seen it, it still keeps my attention. It's definitely machismo heavy but, what Scorsese film isn't? And, like you said, the fact Frank doesn't immediately suspect Billy—or at least, doesn't seem to take that concept as seriously as one might think a mob boss would or should—requires a little mental gymnastics to square. But it is somewhat "explained" in the end by the fact that Frank sent the tapes to Billy, and hence trusted him more than the audience was led to believe for reasons alluded to, yet not explicit.
Sam
2025-05-29 16:57:23 +0000 UTCIt was nuts! Glad you enjoyed it.
kaiielle
2025-05-29 12:56:40 +0000 UTCFor me personally…this is peak Scorsese/DiCaprio. Definitely ranks on the all time list. Your reaction was exactly like mine in the theater when I watched it. Those last 5-10 minutes your head is spinning and you’re yelling out WTF! Amazing
HugoBoss435
2025-05-29 08:20:28 +0000 UTC
