Comparing the Departed and Infernal Affairs

Tan Jing Zhi WRIT 340 Assignment 3 10/30/12 Prof. William Gorski The go A Quintessentially American Story Have use up makers nowadays run out of verit qualified ideas and vogues to artistically chatter their individuality? With the recent slew of film retreads and adaptations of classics such as fag Kong, The Manchurian Candidate, and Oceans El plane, it would appear that the film industry has had to tense into the past to externalisek inspiration for their new works.Critics may claim that in the capitalistic, hyper competitive world of film production today, profits take precedency over difficult to construct an engaging story line from scratch. later on all, remakes and adaptations of film classics guarantee a sense of familiarity and nostalgia with the audience, and seem sure-bets for box baron success. However, history reveals that in the world of the arts, some of the most prominent literary and film texts have actually greatly depended on works of the past. cursed Affairs, an original 2002 Hong Kong crime-thriller by Alan Mak and Felix Chong, tells the story of a legal philosophy officer who infiltrates a trinity a Chinese criminal organization, and a triad member on the job(p) underground in the police force, with both men try to hear each other. The film garnered a loyal following and widespread scathing acclaim in Asia. When legendary director Martin Scorsese took on the challenge of adapting unsaved Affairs for his 2006 Hollywood epic, The gone, some wondered if he could still add his unmatched touch to an already outstanding classic.As it turned out, The done for(p) more than held its receive as the film received four Oscars at the 79th Academy Awards. Although The go away faith safey follows the plot of damned Affairs, it distinguishes itself from the original by exploring the complexities of morality piece of music critiquing the corrupt public institutions that claim to serve the American citizens. Through Scorseses de ft use of character development and questioning of traditional nonions of ethics, The gone depicts a world where the line separating good and evil is blurred, and whateverone can replacing their identities to gain an advantage in society, by fair means or foul.The Departed distinguishes itself from Infernal Affairs in its challenge to conventional morality. Although The Departed stays remarkably close to the plot of Infernal Affairs, both films argon made with different cultural contexts in mind, and paint completely fence moral universes. Both in the beginning and conclusion of Infernal Affairs, Buddhist teachings allude to the notion that one has to suffer and be punished for wrongdoing. passim Infernal Affairs, Yan, the triad member who infiltrates the Hong Kong police force, contemplates turning over a new leaf and leaving his criminal past behind for good.He has pass accustomed to his position in the police force, which is depicted as siz fitted and respectable in the f ilm. To wipe out his criminal background, Yan kills his triad boss in a police raid. Although Yan is able to offset afresh on the good side, he pass on forever have to live in guilt for his sins. On the other hand, Chan, the hugger-mugger police officer in the triad, is shot dead. But unlike Yan, he has lived his life with dignity and officers have a bun in the oven tribute at his funeral for his valuable contributions to the police force.While Chan is presented as a radio beacon of incorruptibility, Yan is painted as a conniving and ruthless reality, and thus pays for his actions. The mandarin orange tree title of Infernal Affairs, translates to a continuous hell, where the sinner has to endure unceasing suffering and face his guilty conscience forever (Brussat n. p. ) In Infernal Affairs, the difference amidst good and evil is as clear as black and white. While the Hong Kong police force is a symbol of courageousness and heroism, the triad is correct outative of all th ings sinister and deplorable.In contrast, The Departed blurs the line amongst good and evil, and questions if such distinctions ever existed. With its portrayal of deceptive, brutal and double-crossing characters on both sides of the justness embroiled in a cat-and-mouse game where allone is agonistic to lie to gain an upper hand, The Departed also provides an insight into Scorseses critique of Americas war on timidity and Iraq in the 2000s. The vivid representation of the characters in The Departed plays a central parting in revealing how the protagonists try to break into an amoral world.In Infernal Affairs, both the undercover gangster and police officer are presented simply briefly at the beginning. Rather than focusing on them, the film engages the audience through its alert storytelling and exploration of the symbiotic relationship between the triads and the police force in Hong Kong. In contrast, much more time is devoted in The Departed to explore the experiences of the protagonists, Billy Costigan, the undercover police officer in the Irish mafia, and Collin Sullivan, the mole working for Frank Costello, the boss of the same criminal organization.Rather than trying to differentiate the ethical standards of both characters, Scorsese deliberately suggests that in fact, they merely represent two sides of the same coin. Trapped in a vicious contest with e real moment spent in enemy territory, neither man is spared from making morally objectionable judgments to survive. Sullivan is portrayed as one who believes in survival of the fittest, that the people in power have the privilege to controller the ones below them. Therefore, to reach the top, he works relentlessly towards personal gains without escort for the consequences.He continually tries to escape from his south Boston Irish ghetto upbringing and is obsess with progressing to the affluent Beacon Hill neighborhood. The Massachusetts State House, an imposing grammatical construction on Bea con Street that Sullivan is captivated by, is a symbol of his aridness to become a figure of authority in an institution that upholds American values. His relationship with his partner, Madolyn, also shows his personal ambition. Rather than being attracted to her personality, he only values her status as a professional, which fits ideally into the image he seeks to depict for himself. Throughout The Departed? e deceives e very(prenominal) person he interacts with to get ahead in life his employers, his partner, Costigan, and even the man who nurtured him from a young age, Costello. Unlike Yan in Infernal Affairs, at no localise does Sullivan believe he should repent for his mistakes. He kills Costello, not because he wants to start afresh, but when he discovers that Costello is an FBI informant and had thus double crossed him. welt of all, he deceives himself when he tries to assume the power to judge the moral fictional character of Costigan by recommending him for the Medal of Merit, an action that reeks of hypocrisy.Compared to Sullivan, Costigan, the police officer working undercover in Costellos gang, is equally deceitful. Initially, he believes he is misleading no one and is doing something noble for the Massachusetts State law. But as he ingratiates himself deeper into the underworld world of drugs, sex, and mindless violence, he becomes increasing conflicted and confused. By on a regular basis partaking in brutal beatings and witnessing murders on a regular basis, he finds it insurmountable to continue in this self-deception.Years of undercover work have taken a huge toil on his fragile mental state. It is as if Costellos crooked world has become intertwined with his. During one of the mafias operations, Costigan is pressure to shoot a man in his foot to extract entropy from him. In doing so, he loses his moral compass. Gradually, he is no longer able to identify with being a cop or criminal, because breaking the law has become second nature to him. The only people whom he has been able to be honest with are police sergeant Dignam and Captain Queenam, who both know of his real status as a police officer.In a heated exchange with Dignam, Costigan yells, I cant be someone else every fucking day This outburst exemplifies Costigans frustration at trying to avoid the perils of self-deception because he has been living a life of lies for trey years. By underlining the transgressions of both Costigan and Sullivan, Scorsese shows that whichever side of the law one is on, morality becomes very murky when survival is the only name of the game. There is no path for taking the moral high ground in such an dreary environment.Scorsese also depicts the erosion of moral authority in law enforcement in a post 9/11 world. The Massachusetts State Police are willing to employ either dishonest tactic to secure its aim of bringing Costello to justice. In doing so, any moral authority they capacity have initially had is rendered void. In a particularly poignant view where the state police is conducting an operation to nab Costellos mob doing an iniquitous transaction with the a Chinese triad, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) unit assists the police by putting all cell phones signals in the sweep under surveillance.Captain Ellerby, head of the operation, remarks, Patriot Act, Patriot Act I distinguish it, I love it, I love it Passed in the weeks following the family line 11 attacks, the Patriot Act was designed to enhance federal anti-terrorism investigations and foster American citizens (Jenks n. p. ). Yet by expanding the powers of federal agencies, serious concerns have been increase over its infringement of civil liberties. Ellerby, though, is not concerned in the least(prenominal) by the repercussions the Patriot Act.To him, the means justify the aim of arresting Costello and his men. The Departed is Scorseses vehicle to show that the world we live in today lacks moral codes and principles . All that matters to both sides is gaining a certain kind of advantage, even if it means through the use of unscrupulous methods. Ironically, the characters in The Departed who bide faithful to their moral and just beliefs, such as Captain Queenan, a model of responsibility, honesty and wholeness, is mercilessly murdered by Costellos gangsters. In an interview with TheGuardian in 2006, Director Scorsese explained his motivations for making the film, I guess in that respects an ire, for want of a better word, about the state of affairs. An anger that hopefully doesnt eat at yourself but a confide to acquit what I feel about post- folk 11 despair. It came from a very strong state of conviction about the emotional, psychological state that I am in now about the world and about the way our leaders are behaving (Pilkington n. p. ). The implication of such a strong bidding is clear When President George W.Bush declared a war on terror and Iraq without United Nations support under the guise of good against evil, it invoked a round of drinks of reactionary violence that has cause further destruction of lives and unimaginable sufferings. In The Departed, it is not only the self-righteousness of law enforcement establishments in America that Scorsese is trying to blood down, but that of other institutions of authority as well. There are scenes in the film that continually underscore the violence and pretense of the organizations that claim to cheer the nation.In a heated discussion with his psychiatrist, Madolyn, about the respectability of a cop, Costigan loses his coolheaded and shouts in frustration, Theres no one more full of shit than a cop He adds that most cops join the police force to bang a niggers head against the wall. open(a) racism also pervades the Massachusetts State Police as Sergeant Dignam references their undercover agents such as Costigan to native Americans, because youre not gonna see them. Even Costellos character, which is based o n the real-life Whitley Bulger, a notorious Irish mafia boss, was known to have numerous connections to the Irish Republican force (Allen n. . ) In one scene, Costello is having lunch when he spots a priest and a nun staring at him with disgust. He approaches them and insults the priests faith by referring to the homosexual sodomy that some Catholic priests committed, insinuating that even men of faith are no less flawed than he is. In reality, as in The Departed, the forces for good and evil are so closely interwoven that they appear to be mutually reinforcing and sustaining. The difference between what is right and wrong has become especially ambiguous and virtually impossible to discern.As Scorsese explained in the interview with The Guardian, Good and bad become very blurredIts a world where morality doesnt exist, good doesnt exist, so you cant even sin any more as theres nothing to sin against. Theres no redemption of any kind ((Pilkington n. p. ). By drawing parallels in The Departed to the ethically refutable actions of people in power, Scorsese provides a social commentary on the rate of flow state of the country and suggests that no one can be trusted. movie remakes and adaptations have long been a staple in the film industry.From a studios perspective, remaking a film is sensible because not only will the remake gain instant name recognition, it will also interest a portion of the audience who enjoyed the original, regardless of how the remake turns out. In comparing Infernal Affairs, an original Hong Kong classic, with The Departed, the American remake, there is a stark difference in how the respective directors of the films view morality. In Infernal Affairs, the distinction between good and evil is clear the police stands for integrity and the triad is a symbol of wickedness.On the other hand, The Departed gives the audience an overpower sense that moral values no longer matter in a world where right and wrong is distorted. Ultimately, throu gh The Departed, director Scorsese aims to express his distrust with the public institutions porous claims to protect Americans, as well as his anguish at the political failures of the Bush Administration after the September 11 attacks. By crafting the film from a uniquely American perspective, time tailoring it to the current state of affairs in America, Scorseses advanced(a) masterpiece is worthy of high praise.Works Cited Allen, Nick. James Whitey Bulger to admit he was judicature informer in court. The Telegraph. 7 Aug. 2012. Web. 2 Oct. 2012. Brussat, Federic and Mary Ann. Infernal Affairs. church property Practice. n. d. Web. 3 Oct 2012. Jenks, Rosemary. The USA PATRIOT Act of 2001 A Summary of the Anti-Terrorism Laws Immigration-Related Provisions. nucleus for Immigration Studies. Dec. 2001. Web. 2 Oct. 2012. Pilkington, Ed. A History of Violence. The Guardian. 5 Oct. 2006. Web. 3 Oct. 2012.