In Reply to: The Departed - an OK second-rate action flick posted by Victor Khomenko on March 27, 2007 at 06:01:14:
I found it to be a rather intriguing didactic between the moral and immoral, belief and disbelief, faith and apostasy, consciousness and oblivion ... a commentary on man's quest to give meaning to life and motive to action in an ultimately meaningless existence. One of the film's central images -- the blowing out of people's brains, is telling. The uniforms or lack thereof, in the police, the frocks, or lack thereof, among the film's do-gooders, are other interesting keys.The employment of the classic literary device, the separated twins, to you an object of ridicule, places it in a dramatic tradition that includes Greek Drama and Shakespeare.
DiCaprio, an actor I never much admired, gives an astonishingly good performance. Damon is a bit more stolid and unimaginative -- yet earnest and effective. Jack is well, Jack. And though he always seems to be Jack, his has some wonderful moments.
It is easy to approach the film with a dismissive attitude. After all, it's a another Scorcese crime romp, at first glance. But it is a far more ambitious and successful film than many Scorcese had made -- and one of the few films that ever deserved a best picture oscar. I just wish he would quit plastering scenes over with rock anthems, which seem so often life square pegs forced into round holes.
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Follow Ups
- Re: The Departed - better than you give it credit for - halfnote 22:20:14 03/27/07 (15)
- This is interesting... - afilado 22:47:06 03/29/07 (14)
- Re: More - halfnote 22:43:47 03/30/07 (3)
- I like this kind of explanatory detail.... - afilado 10:58:51 03/31/07 (2)
- Re: I like this kind of explanatory detail.... - halfnote 22:17:09 03/31/07 (1)
- Your defense of The Departed... - afilado 00:45:40 04/01/07 (0)
- The original is NOT JAPANESE!!!!!! (nt). - broadwaymelody 16:42:36 03/30/07 (9)
- No need to shout...even when you're right...HK not Japanese.. - afilado 22:47:17 03/30/07 (8)
- my apologies. . . - broadwaymelody 05:41:49 03/31/07 (7)
- No offense taken,,,, I appreciate the correction.... keeps me... - afilado 09:22:50 03/31/07 (6)
- I like the 80's era films of. . . - broadwaymelody 09:39:25 03/31/07 (5)
- Hey, wait a minute,.... - afilado 11:21:52 03/31/07 (0)
- Miike, Ozu......, - afilado 11:15:05 03/31/07 (3)
- think of it like this. . . - broadwaymelody 20:26:32 03/31/07 (2)
- Are you ... - afilado 00:48:48 04/01/07 (1)
- let me check. . . . . - broadwaymelody 06:48:01 04/01/07 (0)