The Departed vs. Infernal Affairs

As The Departed along with Infernal Affairs 2 & 3 arrive on DVD this week (the original was released several months ago), I figured it would be as good an opportunity as any to discuss their relationship and find out what other people think. When word first started to spread that Scorsese was remaking the Hong Kong film, we all became a little curious (especially since most of the staff were big fans of the original as well as the sequels)! After seeing both versions, I appreciate each for their own individual merits and directions that they take the script but still love the overall tightness of Infernal Affairs' story and involvement of Tony Leung's character more. Leung's undercover relationship with mob head, Eric Tsang plays out much more sincerely and naturally, almost offering a slight glimpse at confliction between the two sides as he strives to remain legit in the eyes of the crime ring. On the other end, Leung's alligiance to the police force is heightened even more by his friendship with contact and police captain, Anthony Wong. Strengthening the original's case is the prequel, Infernal Affairs 2, which sets the stage for it's predecessor and details the infancy of the characters so meticulously, it could be argued that it's almost a better film! While both movies share most of the same plot points, they truly offer different experiences. If you've seen one and not the other (or missed the sequels), you've got some catching up to do - these are some of the BEST crime drama films of the past decade.