The Departed / Departed - Unter Feinden (2006)

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The Departed / Departed - Unter Feinden (2006)

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In South Boston, the state police force is waging war on Irish-American organized crime. Young undercover cop Billy Costigan is assigned to infiltrate the mob syndicate run by gangland chief Frank Costello. While Billy quickly gains Costello's confidence, Colin Sullivan, a hardened young criminal who has infiltrated the state police as an informer for the syndicate, is rising to a position of power in the Special Investigation Unit. Each man becomes deeply consumed by his double life, gathering information about the plans and counter-plans of the operations he has penetrated. But when it becomes clear to both the mob and the police that there's a mole in their midst, Billy and Colin are suddenly in danger of being caught and exposed to the enemy-and each must race to uncover the identity of the other man in time to save himself. But is either willing to turn on the friends and comrades they've made during their long stints undercover?

Departed spielt in South Boston, wo die Polizei dem organisierten Verbrechen den Krieg erklart. Der junge Undercover-Cop Billy Costigan (DiCaprio) ist in diesem Viertel aufgewachsen. Er bekommt den Auftrag, sich in das Syndikat des Unterweltbosses Costello (Nicholson) einzuschleusen. Wahrend Billy schnell Costellos Vertrauen gewinnt, hat sich der hartgesottene junge Kriminelle Colin Sullivan (Damon), der ebenfalls aus South Boston stammt, seinerseits bei der Polizei eingeschleust, um fur Costello zu spionieren. Er erarbeitet sich in der Ermittlungsspezialeinheit eine Machtposition und gehort zu der Hand voll Elite-Cops, die Costello dingfest machen sollen. Naturlich wissen Colins Vorgesetzte nicht, dass er fur Costello arbeitet – der Unterweltboss ist der Polizei immer einen Schritt voraus.

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The Departed / Departed - Unter Feinden (2006)

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Beiden Mannern steigt dieses Doppelleben zu Kopf: Sie sammeln Informationen uber die Plane und strategischen Reaktionen der Systeme, in die sie eingedrungen sind. Doch sowohl die Gangster als auch die Cops merken, dass in ihren Reihen ein Maulwurf tatig ist, und plotzlich laufen Billy und Colin Gefahr, entdeckt und gefasst zu werden – hektisch versuchen beide, den anderen zu enttarnen, um selbst unerkannt zu bleiben.

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The Departed / Departed - Unter Feinden (2006)

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The Departed is based on a superior film shot in Hong Kong called Infernal Affairs. The difference between the earlier version and Scorcese's remake is like the difference between jazz virtuoso Lester "Prez" Young and the saxophonists who followed. Prez was an original. He had a feathery tone and an unconventional approach to the mechanics of the horn. His music told stories, using melodic lines with few notes. Compare that to the saxophonists who came after. They often tried to tell the same story, but with a more acerbic tone, more notes cluttering the melody, more complex harmonic structure. Their approach did not connect with audiences in the same way. You get the idea. Infernal Affairs and The Departed are both good films, but the original tells a story on another level and the performances of its cast are more accessible and inspirational. That said, Scorcese's vision has a power, energy and thematic scope that may be more appealing to viewers on this side of the pond.

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The Departed / Departed - Unter Feinden (2006)

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While few American viewers will know the actors in Infernal Affairs, The Departed is chock full of Hollywood heavyweights. Representing the older generation are Jack Nicholson as mob boss Frank Costello, Martin Sheen as straight laced police captain Oliver Queenan and Alec Baldwin as the dry but hotheaded captain George Ellerby. The younger characters include Matt Damon as Colin Sullivan, Costello's mole in the police force; Leonardo DiCaprio as Billy Costigan, Queenan's mole in Costello's gang; and Mark Wahlberg as SSgt. Sean Dignam–the "acerbic tone cluttering the melody", to extend the metaphor. Dignam was superfluous to the story and such a character did not exist in Infernal Affairs. Neither did the female lead character's relationship with the undercover cop. Both deviations from the original plot served only to clutter the story and seemingly confound the actors.

Reviewed by Greg Maltz (blu-ray.com)

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The Departed / Departed - Unter Feinden (2006)

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