A Departure For Scorsese?

Imagine you are Martin Scorsese. You have never won an Oscar. You're now preparing for the October release of 'The Departed', which will be in cinemas for a couple of months, then on DVD by the time the Academy award votes are cast. Your film won't be ignored, and you'll almost certainly get your sixth best director nomination. But how badly do you want to win an Oscar? Does it matter anymore? And does this explain why your new film is a remake?

'The Departed' is an American version of the Hong Kong film 'Infernal Affairs'. The plot revolves around cops trying to take down robbers, with a double agent handily placed amongst the criminals. However, the robbers have a double agent placed amongst the cops too, and the film follows both double agents as they become aware of each other. Admittedly, this was confusing to Western audiences unfamiliar with the two lead actors. If you're Scorsese, how do you resolve this? You cast Leonardo DiCaprio as the cop amongst the crims, and Matt Damon as the crim amongst the cops - helps recognition and box-office. Mark Wahlberg is in there as a cop too, to further boost things. Who's the lead bad guy? Multi-Oscar winner - and great actor - Jack Nicholson. Martin Sheen, Alec Baldwin and Ray Winstone are all in there somewhere too. So you've got a very promising film, and yet it takes studio money to get that kind of cast, and that may mean studio compromises.

Scorsese might be getting used to dealing with those. His last couple of films were big studio flicks and 'Gangs of New York' in particular suffered various changes. The runtime was altered in various ways, depending on who you believe, and Scorsese and DiCaprio had to defer their salaries to get it made at all. 'The Aviator' was originally a Michael Mann project, offered to Scorsese when he didn't feel like making it. Both films were very watchable, which is fine, but not really what we'd expect from Scorsese. Both also resulted in Oscar nominations for Scorsese, and he lost out twice more.

So, if you're Scorsese, you've got to be bothered, however slightly. Your films are still coming out at the end of the year. Woody Allen puts his films out in January if he can, so they're in no-one's mind at Oscar time. Then again, he's won one, and you've lost five times, three of those to actor-directors – Robert Redford, Kevin Costner and Clint Eastwood. It has to bother you – 'Goodfellas', beaten by 'Dances With Wolves'? Losing out to Kevin Costner?! He's washed up now, and you're in great shape. You've got a big movie coming out now; you've got a chance at the big prize again. But what is the real prize, a film you're truly proud of, or Oscar success through slick studio marketing?

Could be both. Studios have shown that they prize critically acclaimed directors, believe it or not. Look at the leeway afforded to Stanley Kubrick. Forgetting the Oscar for a minute, is it possible this will be a great film? The best case is that Scorsese could be getting by without interference, with a fight or two here or there. His last two big movies have been somewhat impersonal slick entertainments – but he's also been making great documentaries about subjects he adores; film history, the blues, and best of all, Bob Dylan. His talent is still in evidence when he gets involved with a subject, and 'The Departed' could well be his kind of material. It's about crime for a start, a known Scorsese obsession, and also loyalty, friendship, and men who live by codes, all familiar themes. It's about two men who wonder if the job they have to do is taking them away from who they really are. They can only win out in the end by finding the perfect balance between those influences.

So if you're Martin Scorsese, you've got to wonder if you can pull off the same trick. If you can, they should give you an award.