Slightly late I know however I did say I would complete an analysis of The Departed opening sequence so here it is.
The Departed is a 2006 film which tells the confusing story of a policeman who is working for the mafia, whilst at the same time an undercover policeman poses as a member of the mafia. The setting of the Departed is Boston, this indicates that the mafia is the Irish Mafia; this differs from usual crime films as the mafia used is typically the Italian Mafia. The use of using a different mafia group highlights that this film is going to be very different to usual crime films. Jack Nicholson plays the Irish Mob boss and is the prominent part of the ensemble cast as he is the one which links everyone in the film together.
The opening sequence begins directly with a flashback whilst a voiceover of Jack plays. The actual film is set in the present time whereas this flashback begins around the 1970s, this can be told by the mise-en-scene of the cars used throughout the sequence. The use of the flashback is used to highlight the story between the policeman (Matt Damon) and how he met the Irish Mafia boss as a child. It is interesting that Matt Damon’s character’s parents are never shown throughout the film, this gives the sense that the mafia boss (Jack Nicholson) has taken the place of Matt Damon’s parents, using mafia bosses as father-figures is typical in crime drama, most notably The Godfather in which Marlon Brando’s character (Godfather) is seemingly a father-figure to everyone besides his enemies. The use of the father-figure can be used for a number of reasons; usually it is done to make the audience feel as though the character is more sympathetic and heroic as father-figures are usually shown to be heroic and a protector of their children. However it can also be done to highlight that they are manipulating their children and brainwashing them into doing the wrong thing instead of the right thing thus contradicting the one thing policeman need to know. This can then either make the audience sympathetic towards Matt Damon’s character as he has not necessarily chosen to be sinister and conniving, however it could also make him seem very sinister as he has grown up with evil around him and will thus act in a very sinister way with no remorse for anyone, not having remorse or sympathy will highlight to the characters that Matt Damon’s character is sinister as sympathy is a typical feature for heroic characters. I have discussed this typical father-figure concept as I feel it would be an interesting area to explore in our project; however it will be difficult as we only have 3 members in our group all of which all have roles already allocated towards them, this will mean we will need someone who is relatively older (as for a father-figure they need to be notably older) and willing to act which will be difficult to find. I also discussed this as there are numerous elements from the actual opening sequence which dwells on the father-figure relationship between Matt Damon’s character as a child and Jack Nicolson’s mafia boss character.
As the clip opens the audience can see the setting of the sequence as well as the fact that it is set in the past through text which states “Boston, some years ago”, the use of the actual years being unspecified highlights a casual atmosphere and also indicates the notion that not many understand exactly what happened in this sequence within the present time of the film.
The clip then cuts to fighting amongst a street with a voiceover from Jack Nicholson, his distinctive voice indicates his presence to the audience at 0:08, the use of him talking over a fight scene could show how Jack’s character may have started the fighting, he talks very casually as though seeing destruction is an everyday occurrence, the camera during the first fight does not have any edits which replicates the point of view of the people watching the fight and makes the audience feel as though they are part of the environment, I think using point of view shots would be good in our final project as it entices the audience and makes them feel part of the environment.
There are then shots of police officers whilst a school bus drives alongside them which then cuts towards more fighting. This creates a sense of rebellion and how the public is fighting against the police (I.E authority).
0:44 is the first time the audience see Jack, the shot is very interesting as the camera pans whilst he is walking around in some sort of broken down factory or mechanics, the lighting is interesting as Jack’s body is kept very dark whilst the lighting of the outside is much brighter, this makes it seem as though Jack’s figure is like a silhouette which replicates his old-fashioned views and also shows how Jack’s character is very dark and villainous. Having the villainous character encompassed as a dark, silhouette-type figure could be difficult to replicate, however I feel is we were to attempt this within our project it would be very effective and would also allow us to discuss practical elements around it as well as typical representation of dark characters.
Jack is then seen to be smoking a cigarette whilst also saying the word “nigger”, this emphasizes that he is a very dark character through the racist language, the cigarette reflects a rebellious nature. He expresses that he has a belief that if no one gives you what you want “you have to take it”, this shows him as a more aggressive and violent character and shows that he is willing to do almost anything to get what he wants.
The audience are then greeted to Matt Damon’s character as a young child, before Jack meets him he is seen to take money off a restaurant owner, he then directs a young bar lady in the restaurant to come over to him, the language he uses to her is very misogynistic and replicates that he is possibly a racist and sexist character thus emphasizing his villainous nature.
Jack then starts talking to the kid, he directs the barman to get the kid accessories such as milk and comic books. This makes him seem generous towards the audience however the camera angles (specifically at 2:23 and 2:33) which show him looking down on the kid as though he clearly has authority whilst the kid is very weak and also shows him in very dark lighting which subsequently emphasizes his dark character further, being generous indicates the father and son type relationship Jack and the kid has at this point. Through dialogue it is clear that the kid lives with his grandma and not therefore not his parents, therefore when Jack begins talking to him it gives the sense that Jack is replacing the father-figure in the kid's life. Jack then expresses that he did well in school which he calls a “paradox”, this indicates that this movie will not show a typical representation that all mafia bosses are complete thugs who had a very hard upbringing and lived their lives on the streets, instead it simply shows him in a more respectable light, however the use of the lighting indicates that he is still a dark character.
At 3:42 there is a shock moment as the sequence jump cuts directly from Jack giving advice to the kid straight to Jack shooting an unspecified man and woman, this highlights that Jack is not ‘all talk’ in terms of his villainous ways and does not care about killing people if he feels it is necessary, he mocks the way the woman fell as she died thus indicating further how he does not care at all about woman’s rights or about killing people.
Jack in his silhouette type image thus indicating his dark nature towards the audience.
A shot taken from 2:23, this clearly indicates how Jack is the authority figure whilst the kid is very weak within a high angle shot, Jack is also in very dark light whilst the kid is in much brighter light thus showing Jack as a much darker character whilst the kid is more innocent at this moment in time.
Jack in his silhouette type image thus indicating his dark nature towards the audience.
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