Film Vs. Film: 'Infernal Affairs' and 'The Departed'

After much (slacking), I finally saw 'Infernal Affairs', the film which Martin Scorcese would later remake as 'The Departed'. Any remake or adaptation will always beg the inevitable question : Which is better? These two are a rare example when both films are equal parts success and failure. The plot is suspense concentrate: a gangster has a mole in the highest levels of the city's police force, while the police has an informant in the highest levels of the gangster's cartel. As the two become aware of each other, they find themselves in a race to see who can rat the other out before they do the same to him. In such brilliant hands, both these adaptations come alive to endlessly exciting results. Predictably though, they also fall under the weight of their own environments.

'The Departed' boasts a superior sense of danger which, inevitably, leads to greater sense of suspense (rhymes, deal with it). Scorcese is just being good old Scorcese when he cranks up the bloodshed, and Jack Nicholson is just being Old Jack when he chews the scenery. Nicholson emerges as the superior gangster here. As charismatic as Eric Tsang was, Nicholson helps pump up the tension as a man at the end of his rope and with little to lose. You wouldn't want to be Leonardo DiCaprio's undercover officer. Let me preface by saying that I think Tony Leung is one of the most subtly expressive, quietly powerful actors in the world today. But here, I have to go with DiCaprio. His character is truly a man on the verge. He pops pills, he has constant headaches, and he knows he's perpetually an inch within his life at all times. He plays all this with his usual intensity and a permeating sadness over the lack of options in his life. Tony Leung's role is too charming, too flirty, we don't really feel enough sense of danger. Scorcese's hot shot, Boston police force is also all loud, brash testosterone. They swear like fucking sailors, they give each other shit, and they play the case as one where losing is not an option. This aided in no small part by Alec Baldwin and Mark Wahlberg who provide some of the film's best moments. These are characters that don't really exist in 'Infernal Affairs'.

What Scorcese doesn't have though is Christopher Doyle, who manages to make most films he shoots look pretty amazing (See the parking garage scene and the final, rooftop confrontation between Tong Leung and Andy Lau). And though 'Infernal Affairs' isn't edited by Thelma Schoonmaker, it does share the the same tension of being pulled back and forth between both sides of the law. Both Andy Lau and Matt Damon do an equally good job of playing their moles as smarmy pieces of shit. With their shit-eating grins and cock-sure attitude, it's quite satisfying watching them get closer and closer to being exposed.

Probably the only thing really hurting both films is their insistence on making us understand something so blatantly obvious. For 'Infernal Affairs', it's the seemingly desperate attempt to make you feel sad over the loss of a character. There's always absurd, black and white flashbacks and weepy music. For 'The Departed', the never-ending quest to make you understand that 'THESE PEOPLE ARE OF IRISH DESCENT!!!! THIS IS BOSTON!!!! THEY HAVE BOSTON ACCENTS!!!!!! IRISH!!!! IRISH!!!! IRISH!!!!!" There is surely some lesson in an Irish code of street honor or some shit, but after having their Irishness pounded into our skulls, you just want them to rot in Mick-HELL (even Nicholson's last stand has him in a t-shirt that only says "IRISH" on it. And somebody (me) needs to send Scorcese a mix CD. Nobody needs to hear 'Gimme Shelter' in one of his movies ever. again.

Final Verdict: Tie