The Departed: An Unworthy Oscar Winner
The ridiculous has happened. Even after I had hoped that it wouldn’t.
The Departed won Best Film in the Oscars.
It also won Best Adapted Screenplay.
I don’t care if the actors in it won stuff. But those 2 categories above, I do take offense. How could a remake be awarded Best Film? I mean, since it’s based 95% on the superior Hong Kong film, Infernal Affairs, maybe they should just have given that award to Infernal Affairs instead.
Apart from great acting, the one main thing which made The Departed ‘good’ among critics and cinema-goers alike was its terrific plotline of ‘double diametric moles’. But this strength is directly 100% taken from IA. So how does it justify winning Best Film then?
And Best Screenplay? Omg, that’s even worse. It’s like taking my friend’s great Mandarin essay, paraphrasing it a little and translating it into English, and then winning an essay competition with it. Have the screenwriter for TD no shame? What a hollow win for him. Luckily Hollywood is aware enough to award Best ‘Adapted’ Screenplay to it than to give it an outright Best Original Screenplay award. For that at least we can be thankful.
Notice I didn’t bag out Scorsese winning Best Director. I can still accept that, since a director’s job is to coax out good performances from his actors, and he did that.
For the record, I am still saying that IA is the better film compared to TD. IA has much better pacing, suspenseful built-up, ending, and cinematography.
I am also maintaining that Scorsese bordered on dishonesty in not clearly acknowledging IA in his film. He should have done like what The Lake House did and clearly stated that it was a remake at the BEGINNING of the film. It’s just not enough to do that in tiny fonts during the end credit rolls.
And I’m not the only one saying this. The Australian has also got readers who are pissed that The Departed won. They’re also pissed with the arrogant attitude of Hollywood and Scorsese in not clearly acknowledging Infernal Affairs, whether in-film in TD or during the Oscar ceremony.
And Delwyn, just continue to suck your thumb, ok? Either that, or come up with better arguments to defend your pro-TD stand. If not, you’re just opposing for the sake of opposing man.
I wasn’t pleased that it won either. I watched it on the plane from England, and I was bored to tears. And yeah, it’s a REMAKE. Scorcese is a guy that deserves an Oscar nod, but not for this filmlah …
Comment by Ruth — February 26, 2007 @ 2:42 pm
I agree, TD wasnt as intriguing for me either. So, when I chanced upon a dvd of IA in Tesco (Hungary) a week after watching TD, i immediately bought it to reminiscene one of the greatest HK films; Guess what? I didnt feel how I felt initially about IA…..
Comment by kris — February 26, 2007 @ 9:03 pm
Ruth: Agreed. It’s been widely believed that Scorsese won due to the sympathy votes from the judges who felt bad that they didn’t award him the win for his previous, original and better films.
kris: I guess the ‘wow’ factor kinda wears off after our first viewing. However, taking that into account, IA difinitely packed a big ‘wow’ when we first watched it, but TD? I dunno, some might disagree, but my biggest complaint was it’s slow pacing, and Jack Nicholson’s over-acting.
Comment by sigma — February 26, 2007 @ 9:53 pm
meh. I think Inconvenient Truth should have won instead, regardless the categorization.
Comment by Hafiz — February 28, 2007 @ 3:27 pm
wow! u really pusing 180 from your previous statement about the scosese person. still, the show was SOLD for some US1mil+ to them so quit championing these asian-movie “causes” like u’re some morally righteous chinese guy la. u can’t even form a proper sentence in mandarin.
and i have yet to receive my bday present so no i have yet to shop for yours f**ker. =P
jeers,
delwyn
Comment by del — February 28, 2007 @ 6:25 pm
I know, for your bday i should get u a dvd of The Departed. pirated no less. coz u wouldnt want the us ppl to earn more royalties right?
eh, so whr did u watch Infernal Affairs too hmmm Mr HK-movie-causes-representative ? piracy or rental is bad u know. plagarisfhdgk (however u spell)
Comment by del — February 28, 2007 @ 6:40 pm
Well, John Sturgess remade Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai into The Magnificent Seven which is a brilliant film.
Kurosawa didnt admit that he had lifted the plot of his other samurai film Yojimbo from the American writer Dashiell Hammett’s novel Red Harvest.
And Italian director Sergio Leone then remade Yojimbo as A Fistful of Dollars another good film that starred Clint Eastwood.
The final point I’d make is that The Departed is a much better film than Infernal Affairs.
Comment by disagree — March 27, 2007 @ 1:19 pm