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Originally Posted by Room
The Departed isn't a masterpiece (though it's imdb rating is shooting through the roof), nor is Infernal Affairs a bad piece of work. When strictly comparing the two, the 'remake' hits a greater note.
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Well... I was going to write a massive review but that pretty much put it far better than
I could have.
I do have to say though, that it's quite a credit to Scorsese's take on it that the film was a richly detailed study of paranoia. I mean, I was actually nervous and worried about every character in the film the entire time and I know I owe that feeling to the ensemble cast. I grew attached to every character, but moreso to Billy for one reason: He didn't ask for this. He was just thrown into it. While Infernal Affairs had the same setup and was a dark and gritty film, it did lack a very human feel to it that Scorsese brought out in his actors without question.
I almost want to say that it's better than Goodfellas, but I don't know if I'll go that far. I will say this though... I literally came out in what I can only refer to as a state of shock from this film. I haven't been this shaken by a film since Munich and for the same reasons. The best way to get that claustrophobic paranoid feeling into your audience is to make sure your main character can FEEL it. Avner in Munich felt it, Billy felt it in this film and
I still feel saturated by it
long after I've left the theater.
Definitely one for the top shelf of my collection.
Jam it back in, in the dark.
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Paco