The Departed 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Review

The 4K UHD Blu-ray presentation of "The Departed" is a noteworthy visual upgrade from its Blu-ray predecessor, primarily attributed to the HDR enhancements and the fresh 2160p/HEVC H.265 transfer. Despite some inherent softness in the original film stock and occasional grain fluctuations, the new master enhances the film's visual appeal without compromising its film-like texture. This balance is achieved with high average bitrates, sometimes soaring to five times that of the previous 1080p release, ensuring an immersive viewing experience.

Colors exhibit remarkable improvement with HDR, offering dense and vivid primaries that enhance the overall visual impact. Flesh tones, while slightly bronzed, remain natural. Black levels are intense yet clear, providing pure blacks without crushing, and shadow detail is maintained even in the most complex scenes. The resulting depth and contrast elevate the visual presentation, making even the dimly lit, gritty urban locales of the film appear more detailed and engaging.

The meticulous work done at Warner Bros Discovery's Motion Picture Imaging, under the guidance of Academy Award-winning editor Thelma Schoonmaker, ensures that clarity, contrast, and vibrancy are heightened. Facial details such as stubble, freckles, and fine hairs are razor-sharp in close-ups. Although minor inconsistencies exist—some shots appear overly processed and flesh tones occasionally err towards orange—the overall visual enhancements far outweigh these quibbles. The consistent, organic film grain and pristine source quality make this 4K UHD Blu-ray a significant visual upgrade and an essential addition for aficionados of this Oscar-winning film.

The 4K UHD Blu-ray release of The Departed features a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix, which maintains the high quality of its various previous formats, including PCM and Dolby TrueHD. Despite the inevitable expectations for an immersive Dolby Atmos track, this audio presentation remains firmly grounded in its original front-heavy design, primarily due to the film's nature. The soundstage delivers nearly indistinguishable differences from earlier versions, with a clear and crisp audio quality that emphasizes dialogue over action or ambient effects. This focus ensures William Monahan's Oscar-winning screenplay shines through and makes for an engaging listening experience.

While bass is sparingly used and action sequences lack the low-frequency impact one might expect, the DTS-HD MA 5.1 track does employ subtle surround effects effectively. Ambient noises like cityscapes and bar interiors, as well as specific sound effects such as gunshots, sirens, and shattering glass, are managed with precision. The stereo separation is prominent across front channels, making Howard Shore’s score and selected pop tunes resonate well within the spectrum. The overall dynamic range handles various highs and lows seamlessly, ensuring that key sonic moments flex with clarity and power when necessary without being obtrusive.

In essence, this audio track seems to be a refined version of what has come before, now encoded in lossless DTS-HD MA. Its apparent goal is coherence and fidelity over sheer enveloping sound, aligning well with the film's dialogue-heavy scenes and minimalist action requirements. Dialogue prioritization remains top-notch, maintaining clarity and intelligibility throughout the runtime. Optional English and Spanish dubs and subtitles are available for those requiring them, though it's worth noting that French support is absent in this iteration.

The 4K UHD Blu-ray of "The Departed" offers a robust collection of extras, retaining the majority of features from the earlier Blu-ray release and adding a notable new featurette. The highlight is the new 15-minute "Guilt and Betrayal: Looking into The Departed," where Martin Scorsese dives deep into his inspirations and the making of the film. Additional features include the engaging "Stranger Than Fiction" and "Crossing Criminal Cultures" featurettes, backed by contributions from cast, crew, and authorities on Boston's criminal underworld. While the upscaling of older features from 480i to 1080p introduces some technical issues like frame rate problems, the content quality is undeniable. Deleted scenes introduced by Scorsese offer further insight into his creative decisions.

Extras included in this disc:

• NEW Featurette: Guilt and Betrayal: Looking Into The Departed: Scorsese reflects on the film’s development.
• Stranger Than Fiction: The True Story of Whitey Bulger, Southie and The Departed: Examines real-life influences on the film.
• Crossing Criminal Cultures: Delves into Scorsese's crime films.
• Deleted Scenes with Introductions by Martin Scorsese: Includes nine deleted scenes with director commentary.

Martin Scorsese's "The Departed," now available on 4K UHD, exemplifies a masterful fusion of engrossing storytelling and stark social commentary. Scorsese adapts the Hong Kong crime thriller "Infernal Affairs" to an American context, meticulously reworking it with a Boston backdrop. The plot intricately weaves between undercover cop Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio) and criminal infiltrator Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon), both rising within their respective organizations under the shadow of mob boss Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson). The narrative maintains a gripping tension, exploring themes of moral ambiguity and corruption in both law enforcement and criminal circles.

The performances are uniformly stellar. Jack Nicholson’s portrayal of the sociopathic Frank Costello is both terrifying and captivating, providing an unrestrained glimpse into a life driven by chaos and violence. Leonardo DiCaprio adeptly conveys the inner turmoil of his undercover role, while Matt Damon flawlessly balances the duality of his character’s deceit. Mark Wahlberg's supporting role earned him an Oscar nomination, showcasing a fierce but layered performance. Vera Farmiga adds emotional depth with her role as a troubled psychologist, intertwining with both DiCaprio and Damon's characters to poignant effect.

Scorsese doesn't shy away from the raw brutality of gangland violence. Scenes are depicted with unflinching detail, reinforcing the film’s commitment to honesty over glamorization. The early exposition on the effects of bullets on the human body sets a visceral tone for the bloodshed that permeates the story. The screenplay, laden with sharp dialogue and biting commentary on post-9/11 policing, remains brutally honest and darkly humorous. "The Departed" stands as a testament to Scorsese’s ability to elevate genre filmmaking to high art, presenting an unvarnished look at the intertwined fates of cops and criminals in a decaying urban landscape.

Warner Bros.' 4K UHD Blu-ray release of Martin Scorsese's "The Departed" rejuvenates this intense, twisty mob/cop drama, which scrutinizes both morality and legality with a critical eye. This edition enriches the viewing experience with a dazzling HDR transfer, significantly enhancing the visual clarity and detail of the film’s gritty, urban settings. The new audio mix delivers solid performance, preserving the film's intricate soundscapes and Howard Shore’s evocative score, thus elevating the immersive feel critical to Scorsese’s storytelling.

In addition to the technical upgrades, fans and collectors will appreciate the fresh bonus content included in this release. A highlight is an insightful new interview with Martin Scorsese, offering deeper perspectives into his creative process and the challenges encountered during production. However, it's somewhat disappointing that Warner continues to upscale their standard definition bonus materials incorrectly, slightly diminishing the overall value of these extras. Nevertheless, the steelbook packaging is particularly attractive and will appeal to packaging enthusiasts looking for aesthetic display choices.

It may or may not be a great film, but "The Departed" is at least a very good film with plenty of character-driven intrigue, all-in performances by a stacked cast, and many of the famed director's (and his editor's) most familiar touches. While it may not sit on the top shelf alongside Scorsese's most memorable works, this solid 4K edition ensures "The Departed" earns its place in any cinephile’s collection. Warner Bros.' 4K edition offers substantial support, including a fine new transfer and decent extras, making it highly recommended for fans and collectors alike.