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The Departed (2006) ft. Peterson W. Hill
Episode 333 • 7th October 2026 • Greatest Movie Of All-Time • Thomas Duncan
00:00:00 02:33:41

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Dana and Tom with 5x Club Member and CLP Contributor, Peterson W. Hill (Co-Host of the War Starts at Midnight podcast), discuss The Departed (2006) for its 20th anniversary: directed by Martin Scorsese, written by William Monahan, cinematography by Michael Ballhaus, music by Howard Shore, editing by Thelma Schoonmaker, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Alec Baldwin, Mark Wahlberg, and Martin Sheen.

Plot Summary: In The Departed, the story gives us a thrilling, double-blind paradox: Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio) is an undercover state trooper trying to take down Irish mob boss Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson) from the inside. Meanwhile, Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon) is a golden-boy state trooper who is secretly a mole reporting back to Costello. When both sides realize they have a rat in their house, a paranoid race begins as both moles must uncover the other's identity before they are exposed and killed. It’s a cat-and-mouse game where both men are playing both roles.

Chapters:

00:12 Introduction, Cast, and Background for The Departed

03:24 Welcome Back, Peterson W. Hill

04:00 Funniest Scorsese Movie?

04:22 What is Your Relationship with The Departed?

10:00 Crowd Pleasing

13:00 Plot Summary for The Departed

13:52 What is The Departed About?

33:52 Scorsese's Best Film?

36:41 Did You Know?

42:54 CLP 2.0 - #56-60

52:36 Best Performance(s)

01:14:09 Best Scene(s)

01:27:11 In Memoriam

01:35:27 Best Line(s)

01:41:48 The Stanley Rubric - Legacy

01:53:01 The Stanley Rubric - Impact/Significance

02:02:10 The Stanley Rubric - Novelty

02:06:50 The Stanley Rubric - Classicness

02:15:07 The Stanley Rubric - Rewatchability

02:17:26 The Stanley Rubric - Audience Score and Final Total

02:19:15 Remaining Questions for The Departed

02:28:23 Thank You to Peterson / Final Thoughts

02:32:40 Credits

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For more on the episode, go to: https://www.ronnyduncanstudios.com/post/the-departed-2006-ft-peterson-w-hill

For the entire rankings list so far, go to: https://www.ronnyduncanstudios.com/post/greatest-movie-of-all-time-list

Keywords:

Oscars, Best Director, The Departed, film adaptation, classic films, rewatchability, Martin Scorsese, Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Wahlberg, film analysis, cinema, movie analysis, character motivations, storytelling, audience reception, film legacy, plot twists, thematic elements, awards speculation, Matt Damon, power and corruption, American cinema, film themes, movie reviews, cinematic legacy Scorsese, The Departed, film analysis, movie performances, cinematic techniques, casting choices, film trivia, acting performances, movie discussions, film history, podcast, movie, film

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