Cast
| Actor |
Role |
| Leonardo
DiCaprio |
Billy Costigan |
| Matt Damon |
Colin Sullivan |
| Jack
Nicholson |
Frank Costello |
| Mark Wahlberg |
Dignam |
| Martin Sheen |
Queenin |
| Alec Baldwin |
Ellerby |
| Vera Farmiga |
Madolyn |
| Anthony
Anderson |
Brown |
| Ray Winstone |
Mr. French |
| James Badge
Dale |
Barrigan |
| Robert
Wahlberg |
FBI Agent Joyce |
| David O'Hara |
Fitzy |
Plot
Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.
The Departed is set in the heart of South Boston, where the Massachusetts State Police is waging war on the Irish Mob. Young undercover cop Billy Costigan (DiCaprio) is assigned to infiltrate the mob syndicate run by gangland chief Frank Costello (Nicholson). While Costigan quickly gains Costello's confidence, Colin Sullivan (Damon), a protege of Costello who has infiltrated the police department as an informant 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.
Trivia
Scorsese was unaware of the original when he read the script in late 2003.
Martin Scorsese and the producers wanted to shoot the film on location in Boston where the story is set. But due to economics and politics, the production chose New York City to double for Boston for their 15% tax incentives. Six weeks were reserved for Boston with the first half in June and the second half in August. Most of the film's exterior shots are filmed in and around Boston.
Leonardo DiCaprio was cast in the title role in The Good Shepherd, but he dropped out to play Billy Costigan in this movie. Coincidentally, his costar Matt Damon took his intended role in that film.
Jack Nicholson signed on to play Frank Costello because he had done comedies in the past ten years (since his turn as The Joker in Batman), and he wanted to play a villain again. He has mentioned that he considers his character of Costello to be the ultimate incarnation of evil.
Both Matt Damon and Mark Wahlberg are returning to their hometown of Boston, Massachusetts in this film. Wahlberg's schedule was moved to the beginning of principal photography so he'd have time in his schedule for another film, as was Alec Baldwin's.
Some of the stunts were performed and filmed in the old Fore River Shipyard just south of Boston. This location may have been chosen for the sightlines in the background so the Boston skyline would be true.
Robert De Niro was offered, but declined, the role of Frank Costello.
The Dropkick Murphys cover of Woody Guthrie's "I'm Shipping Up to Boston" from their latest abum The Warrior's Code is in the soundtrack and trailer.
Also in the trailer is the Pink Floyd song "Comfortably Numb", as performed by Van Morrison during the 1990 staging of The Wall in Berlin.
Jack Nicholson refused to wear a Boston Red Sox hat during filming and instead wore his New York Yankees hat.
Intended or not, the title "Departed" begins with prefix 'de' and ends with suffix 'ed', which signals symmetry of the word. When the middle word 'part' is flipped, it shows the word 'trap', arguably one of the themes of the movie.
The term 'the faithful departed' is a reference in Roman Catholicism to the belief that baptised souls who have not atoned for their sins will be unable to attain to grace without prayer and the sacrifice of the Mass. Without these the departed are believed to reside in Purgatory.
