by Matt Butler

Created on: February 09, 2007   Last Updated: May 09, 2007

Of all the Best Picture and Best Director nominees, none are more deserving than Martin Scorsese for The Departed, a retelling of the Hong Kong crime drama Internal Affairs from 2002. Scorsese is no Oscar virgin, he's directed Robert De Niro, Cathy Moriarty, Ellen Burstyn, Joe Pesci, Cate Blanchett and Paul Newman to Best Actor and Actress awards, and has been nominated for, and alluded, Best Director a total of five times. (Raging Bull 1980, The Last Temptation of Christ 1988, Goodfellas 1990, Gangs of New York 2002, and The Aviator 2004.)

As much as it is a crime itself, no pun intended, that Goodfellas was beaten out by Dances With Wolves, it would be an utter sham if Scorsese were passed over this year only to, eventually, be given one of those honorary Oscars they pass out in an attempt to make up for years of snubs. (See Cary Grant)

There simply wasn't a finer film this year than The Departed. Scorsese's niche has always been realism. Raw realism. Where The Godfather was the operatic, and romantic side of organized crime, Goodfellas took you through the mob hierarchy as it really is, with its unrelenting violence and excess. In the same respect, The Departed is a gritty look at the paranoia that comes with being on either side of the law.

Colin Sullivan's (Damon) devotion to Frank Costello (Nicholson) and job with the Staties, parallels perfectly with Billy Costigan's (DiCaprio) devotion to the Staties and job with Costello. The characters are rich and full; they feel complete, much more so than the characters in Internal Affairs. Sullivan wants power, respect and approval, both from fellow policemen and Costello while Costigan wishes to escape his family history and become his own man.

Every actor turns in a top notch performance. No matter what your feelings on DiCaprio, his and Scorsese's recent collaborations are on par to match Scorsese's early work with Harvey Keitel and Robert De Niro.

Not to take away from any of the other nominees, but Scorsese at his best is unrivaled, no matter who the Academy recognizes. When was the last time a comedy won Best Picture? Shakespeare in Love? Little Miss Sunshine is a great film, and I certainly enjoyed it more than The Queen and Babel, but it doesn't stand a chance against the brood of dramas, as rarely comedies do. Babel is basically Crash with more foreigners, and The Queen is, well, I just didn't understand the appeal.

Clint Eastwood's Letters From Iwo Jima was a great picture in its own right, but Clint has been recognized time and time again by the Academy. And although I love his work, Scorsese is good as it gets. You'll be hard pressed to find a more influential director or a more accomplished one. I certainly can't see what else he has to prove.

The Departed-Best Picture

Martin Scorsese-Best Director

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