THE DEPARTED (2006) 3 1/2 stars out of 4. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg, Martin Sheen, Ray Winstone, Vera Farmiga and Alec Baldwin. Music by Howard Shore. Screenplay by William Monahan. Based on the film 'Infernal Affairs.” Directed by Martin Scorsese. Rated R. Running time: 149 mins.

       
Martin Scorsese's The Departed is a profane, violent, politically incorrect drama that mesmerizes you for nearly 2 1/2 hours with vibrant acting, disciplined cinematography and, most of all, dark humor.

        The Departed is an Americanized version of Infernal Affairs, a highly acclaimed 2002 Hong Kong action drama in which a crime syndicate plants a mole in the police department at the same time the cops get an undercover agent inside the syndicate.

        Most of the drama plays out as the two moles try to uncover and expose the other.

        That also is basically Scorsese's movie, which was written by William Monahan, screenwriter of Kingdom of Heaven.

        The setting has been changed to Boston's volatile south side, run by crime boss Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson). In a sort of a prologue, Costello takes a young boy, Colin Sullivan, under his wing.

        When Sullivan comes of age — and is transformed into Matt Damon — he joins the Massachusetts State Police Department.

        Quickly rising in the ranks, Sullivan continually keeps Costello apprised of the ongoing investigation into his criminal empire.

        At the same time, a elite unit of the department recruits a recent academy graduate, Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio), who grew up in South Boston, to infiltrate Costello's mob.

        Scorsese parallels how both young men rise through the ranks. Sullivan becomes a sergeant in the Special Investigations Unit, while Costigan becomes a trusted aide to Costello.

        About halfway through the film both sides realize they have a rat in their midsts, and the cat-and-mouse game accelerates to high gear.

        The Departed is a very rough movie — physically and emotionally. The world created by Scorsese and Monahan is brutal, misogynistic and racist.

        And it revels in it sense of paranoia, which provides most of the movie's black humor.

        Another reason it is not off-putting is the charisma of the three principals.

        Damon's Sullivan is a charmer, with a ready smile or a witty punchline to keep those around him at ease. His eyes, though, are always searching and his ears always listening for tidbits that will help keep his benefactor one step ahead of those trying to bring him down.

        DiCaprio's Costigan is filled with angst. He despises his double life, feeling he is slowly drowning in his false identity. He turns to pills to anesthetize himself from the corruption that surrounds him.

        And then there's Nicholson, who envelops himself into Costello, a man of great charm and humor who can strike as quickly as a rattlesnake. He is nearly the devil incarnate, and his performance is reminiscent of his devilish character in The Witches of Eastwick.

        Scorsese has gathered a top flight supporting cast, with Mark Wahlberg, Alec Baldwin and Martin Sheen as standouts.

        The last half hour of the movie ratchets up the action, leading to a visceral finale reminiscent of Hamlet.

        It may sound strange to call a movie as savage as The Departed enjoyable, but that is the case. It is totally enthralling.

        Scorsese's movies usually have an operatic quality; this one reaches the heights of Shakespearean tragedy.

        Bob Bloom is the film critic and DVD reviewer at the Journal & Courier in Lafayette, Ind. He can be reached by e-mail at bbloom@journalandcourier.com or at serialhero48@yahoo.com. Bloom's reviews also can be found at the Journal & Courier Web site: www.jconline.com
Other reviews by Bloom can be found at the Rottentomatoes Web site: www.rottentomatoes.com.