The Departed 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Review
Score: 79
from 2 reviewers
Review Date:
The Departed's UHD Blu-ray offers a well-acted, memorable experience with a superb 4K master and excellent bonus features, making it an essential purchase.
Disc Release Date
2K Upscale
HDR10
DTS-HD MA
Video: 90
The Departed's new 2160p/HDR10 4K UHD transfer, supported by Warner Bros.' Motion Picture Imaging and Thelma Schoonmaker, provides a refined, film-like presentation with notable improvements in fine detail, black levels, and color depth, setting a new standard for visual quality.
Audio: 85
The Departed's 4K UHD Blu-ray boasts a robust DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio mix, providing crystal clear dialogue and impactful background music while maintaining balance and intensity akin to its previous lossless PCM 5.1 release, though an Atmos remix would have been a compelling addition.
Extra: 51
The extras of 'The Departed' 4K Blu-ray feature insightful new and legacy content, notably the new 'Guilt and Betrayal' retrospective with Martin Scorsese discussing film influences, and detailed examinations of Whitey Bulger's true story and criminal culture, though some valuable 2007 Blu-ray features are missing.
Movie: 76
Martin Scorsese's 'The Departed' receives a robust 2160p/HDR10 upgrade in its 4K UHD Blu-ray release, boasting an impeccably clear transfer that complements its well-acted, twist-laden crime drama—a solid catalog enhancement enriched with a new retrospective featurette but lacks a remastered Blu-ray.
Video: 90
The new 4K UHD Blu-ray of "The Departed" presents a truly impressive visual upgrade for this Best Picture winner, underscored by meticulous work at Warner Bros.' Motion Picture Imaging facility. This 2160p presentation, supervised in part by Thelma Schoonmaker, provides a film-like experience with a stable, optimized transfer devoid of compression issues. The HDR10 enhancement significantly enhances the depth and vibrancy of colors, lending a striking pop to the Boston scenery and a more intimidating presence to characters bathed in shadows. The black levels and contrast are substantially improved, ensuring that darker scenes are rendered with finesse without succumbing to crush or artifacting.
Fine details are remarkably refined, enhancing the textures in costumes and close-ups. This renders scenes with a lifelike clarity that was not fully captured in prior HD releases. Notable is the entrance of Frank Costello, where the deeper blacks and superior shadow detailing intensify the foreboding atmosphere. The upgraded color values stand out particularly in blue uniforms, although some skin tones tend to lean slightly orange. Nonetheless, the overall visual range between dark and bright elements is striking and caters well to HDR10 capabilities, especially on displays with advanced local dimming.
In terms of disc quality, Warner Bros. has ensured ample room for the 151-minute film through efficient encoding across triple-layer storage, maintaining a high bit rate that translates into a rich, uncompromised viewing experience. Consequently, fans of Scorsese’s masterful direction will find this 4K release a satisfying upgrade that does justice to the film's intricate visuals. This version of "The Departed" stands as an exemplar of how 4K / HDR technology can elevate cinematic experiences to new heights.
Audio: 85
The 4K UHD Blu-ray of "The Departed" features a DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio mix that, while reminiscent of the older Blu-ray's lossless PCM 5.1 counterpart, brings forth an auditory experience that doesn’t disappoint. The track effectively balances the intensity of its background music and score without overshadowing dialogue, ensuring crystal-clear sound effects and spoken lines throughout the film. Although an Atmos remix might have been a compelling addition, the DTS-HD 5.1 mix maintains the film's raw intensity, capturing the essence of its original sound design.
The mix excels in particularly chaotic scenes, providing an immersive audio experience where the strategic removal of sound enhances the dramatic tension. Despite its high-energy score—featuring prominently the Rolling Stones—the audio presentation preserves a healthy balance that serves both the music and narrative clarity. Optional English and Spanish dubs are included, albeit with no French options available. This version omits any superfluous Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks, which contributes to a streamlined and uncompromised audio quality.
Extras: 51
The extras on the 4K UHD Blu-ray of "The Departed" offer a robust look into the film’s background, largely ported from the 2007 Blu-ray, with the notable addition of a new 15-minute retrospective featurette by Rivendell Films. The material includes insights from Martin Scorsese on the film's development post-"Gangs of New York," references to classic cinema influences, and specifics on casting and location choices. Also featured are in-depth pieces on the real-life inspirations behind the story and a comprehensive examination of how "The Departed" fits within the broader context of gangster films. The bonus content is rounded off with a collection of deleted scenes introduced by Scorsese.
Extras included in this disc:
- Guilt and Betrayal: Looking Into The Departed: Scorsese discusses the film’s development and influences.
- Stranger Than Fiction: The True Story of Whitey Bulger, Southie and The Departed: Explores real-life inspirations.
- Crossing Criminal Cultures: Relates Scorsese’s work to classic gangster movies.
- Deleted Scenes: Includes 9 clips with intros by Scorsese.
Movie: 76
Martin Scorsese’s dynamic 2006 crime drama "The Departed" transitions to 4K UHD with spectacular fidelity, just in time for its imminent 20th anniversary. This gritty narrative, enriched by a star-studded cast including Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, and Jack Nicholson, showcases a storm of memorable moments and intricate twists. Though some argue it doesn’t match the greatest of Scorsese’s oeuvre like "Goodfellas," "The Departed" remains a taut and well-acted effort, proving Scorsese’s mastery in handling complex material.
The storyline intricately follows two cops entangled in a cat-and-mouse game, tasked with unmasking the notorious gang leader Frank Costello, played by Nicholson. Damon’s character, Colin Sullivan, navigates his dubious allegiance to Costello while enjoying a highly reputable career. DiCaprio’s Billy Costigan is a law enforcer embedded deep within the criminal underworld, whose psychological unraveling, highlighted by his dependence on medication, adds depth to the character. The film traverses familiar tropes with deftness and avoids clichés through Scorsese’s signature style, bolstered by an ensemble cast offering solid performances.
With the 2160p/HDR10 transfer, the 4K UHD edition enhances the film’s intense visual palette, capturing the stark contrasts emblematic of its urban jungle setting. The meticulous clarity and color grading elevate the overall cinematic experience, offering a fresh perspective on well-known sequences. Adding a new retrospective featurette alongside existing extras ensures this release is not just a revisited favorite but also a comprehensive package for enthusiasts. Despite some narrative elements that falter slightly, "The Departed" remains a compelling entry in Scorsese’s catalog, further immortalized by this robust UHD presentation.
Total: 79
Martin Scorsese's critically acclaimed 2006 film, "The Departed," receives an impressive upgrade with Warner Bros.' new 4K UHD Blu-ray release. This edition features a revitalized 4K master supervised by esteemed editor Thelma Schoonmaker, providing the best visual presentation to date. The enhanced resolution and HDR effectively highlight the film's gritty, tense atmosphere and dynamic action sequences. Additionally, the black levels are deep and stable, while the color grading accurately maintains the intended aesthetic, ensuring an elevated viewing experience for both new and existing fans.
The audio quality has also been given thoughtful attention, with a robust and immersive DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. The sound mix emphasizes sharp dialogues, impactful sound effects, and a perfectly balanced score that heightens the film's tension. Complementing the technical improvements are a set of engaging bonus features that delve into the film’s production process, offering valuable insights for enthusiasts.
This release reaffirms "The Departed" as a standout in Scorsese's illustrious filmography. Whether you're a long-time aficionado or a first-time viewer, this 4K UHD edition is an essential addition to any collection. Both the regular version and the steelbook variant present a compelling option for physical media collectors.
Blu-ray.com review by Randy Miller IIIRead review here
Video: 90
The new HDR10 enhancement unsurprisingly deepens specific color values: blues overwhelmingly stand out on uniforms and the like (although certain skin tones do tend to look a bit orange in tandem) and...
Audio: 90
Although the film's new master may wring slightly more sonic juice from its source elements, this DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio mix feels overwhelmingly similar in tone and intensity to the older Blu-ray's lossless...
Extras: 60
Looking Into The Departed (15:05) - This brief but worthwhile retrospective featurette was produced by Rivendell Films and features director Martin Scorsese as he speaks candidly about The Departed; specifically...
Movie: 80
I hadn't seen The Departed in quite some time before popping in this brand-new 2160p/HDR10 disc and, though I still don't consider it one of the director's finest efforts, it's still a sturdy and well-acted...
Total: 80
Bolstered by a new 4K master overseen by the film's editor Thelma Schoonmaker, as well as a decent slate of bonus features, this is a well-rounded catalog release that fans will want to snap up as soon...
Blu-ray Authority review by Matt Brighton and Christopher BlighRead review here
Video: 100
The blue skies of Boston have never had such pop, the detail is off the charts and with new deeper colors, there were some scenes where my jaw simply dropped....
Audio: 90
The DTS HD Master Audio mix is a blasting track especially when it comes to the mix of background music and score but one thing that the film is constant with is not mixing too much loud score with dialogue....
Extras: 50
Crossing Criminal Cultures – This gives us Scorsese’s upbringing with The Departed and other Scorsese notables and how they relate to the other classic gangster movies of the era of the 1930s with many...
Movie: 0
With it’s twisted directions, unpredictability, and a subject matter that in another film can turn to cliches early, The Departed has an impossible task ahead of them updating a foreign film to native...
Total: 90
Warner’s new disc adds a new feature and gives us the best-looking picture the movie has ever seen....
Director: Martin Scorsese
Actors: Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson
PlotIn the gritty world of South Boston, the Massachusetts State Police are waging a war against organized crime. At the heart of this struggle is an attempt to infiltrate the operations of Frank Costello, the area's infamous Irish-American mob boss. The police plant a young undercover officer, Billy Costigan, within Costello's organization. Costigan is quickly indoctrinated into the world of violence and corruption, all the while reporting back to his superiors. Despite his commitment, the constant threat of exposure pushes him to the limit, psychologically and emotionally, as he delves deeper into his criminal persona to maintain his cover.
Parallel to Costigan's journey, Colin Sullivan, a member of the Special Investigations Unit, rises through the ranks of the state police. Unbeknownst to the department, Sullivan is actually a mole, groomed from a young age by Costello himself to act as his informant within the police force. As both men become deeply embedded in their respective roles of spy and informant, their lives become dangerously intertwined. A tense cat-and-mouse game ensues where each side of the law is desperate to identify the traitor in their midst before their own operative is compromised. With the stakes at their peak, Costigan and Sullivan find themselves locked in a high-stakes race against time, where only one can survive the violent collision of their dual identities.
Writers: William Monahan, Alan Mak, Felix Chong
Release Date: 06 Oct 2006
Runtime: 151 min
Rating: R
Country: United States, Hong Kong
Language: English, Cantonese