Black Mass
Black Masshas found another wave of success since the 2015 film was released on Netflix, and the film already has a fantastic companion movie thanks to Marin Scorsese’s crime thriller from 2006.
Many considerMartin Scorsese to be the filmmaker who perfected the gangster genre, with his films likeGoodfellas,Casino,The Irishman, and more being some of the most critically acclaimed movies of all time.Black Massis a rare gangster movie that was successful without Scorsese’s involvement, but it is very similar to one of the director’s movies from 2006.
Black Massis a 2015 film by director Scott Cooper,with it chronicling the story of James “Whitey” Bulger, who is played in the film by Johnny Depp in one of his most well-received roles.Black Massis the most famous and faithful adaptation of the real-life gang leader’s story, with it following Whitey throughout the decades asBulger and the Winter Hill Gangtake control of Boston.Black Masshelped to popularize Whitey Bulger’s story for many who weren’t around during the gangster’s heyday, but it actually isn’t the first movie that was inspired by his story.
Martin Scorsese’s The Departed Was Inspired By Whitey Bulger & The Winter Hill Gang
But It Isn’t A Faithful Retelling
Although it doesn’t share the names or many details with the real story,Martin Scorsese’s 2006 crime thrillerThe Departedwas heavily inspired by the story of Whitey Bulger and the Winter Hill Gang.
Jack Nicholson’sThe Departedcharacter Frank Costello is based on the real-life Whitey Bulger, with their characters having a lot in common.The Departed’s use of a story that involves the FBI being intertwined with organized crime is also heavily inspired by Whitey Bulger’s real life, withBlack Massdelving into how Bulger worked alongside the authorities to increase his power.
The Departedalso heavily focuses on the Irish Mob, moving away from the Italian Mob stories that Scorsese had focused on in past films likeGoodfellas.The Departeddoesn’t claim to be an accurate retelling of Whitey Bulger’s story, with it going in all kinds of different directions that aren’t true to life.
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However, these inspirations can clearly be seen inThe Departedif viewers know about the story of Whitey Bulger, which is whyThe Departedis a great companion piece toBlack Mass.
How Black Mass Compares To The Departed
There Are Some Big Differences
When it comes to its story,Black MassandThe Departedgo in entirely different directions.Black Massis a more faithful telling of Whitey Bulger’s story, with Johnny Depp’s take on the real-life mobster being the main character.
However,The Departed’s premise is only inspired by Whitey Bulger’s story, with Jack Nicholson’s Frank Costello only being a supporting character in the film.
Instead,The Departedfocuses on Leonardo DiCaprio’s Billy Costigan Jr., a cop who goes undercover and infiltrates the mob.
Film Title
Release Date
Budget
Box Office
Rotten Tomatoes Score
The Departed
October 6, 2006
$90 million
$291.5 million
91%
September 18, 2015
$53 million
$100 million
73%
The Departedwas more successful thanBlack Masscritically and commercially, withThe Departedmaking $291.5 million against a budget of $90 million whileBlack Massmade $100 million against a budget of $53 million.The Departedalso won Best Picture at the Academy Awards, cementing it as one of the best films of its year, whileBlack Massgarnered mixed to positive reception.
Both films have star-studded casts and share similar stories, but most considerThe Departedto be the better of the two.
Why Black Mass & The Departed Are Both Worth Watching
One Is Faithful To Real-Life, The Other Is A Lot Of Fun
AlthoughBlack MassandThe Departeddo have a lot of similarities, they are both worth watching.Black Massis worth watching due to it being the more accurate of the two.
Viewers can learn a lot about Whitey Bulger and his time with the Winter Hill Gang by watching the film.
While it isn’t entirely accurate, it hits on most of the big points, meaning that audiences will have a good idea of what the true story is about.Black Massalso has some fantastic performances from actorslike Johnny Depp, Jesse Plemons, Joel Edgerton, and more.
The Departedmay not be an accurate retelling of the Whitey Bulger story, but the film is so much fun that it doesn’t matter.
The cat-and-mouse game between the police and the mob is a ton of fun to see, with it being one of the most tense movies in Scorsese’s filmography.
The cast ofThe Departedis also stellar, with it featuringLeonardo DiCaprio, Jack Nicholson, Matt Damon, Mark Wahlberg, Vera Farmiga, and more.
Plus, after seeingBlack Mass,The Departedviewers will have a better idea of what inspired the story of Scorsese’s film.
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Black Mass is a crime drama biography based on the true story of one of the most notorious criminals in U.S. History, Whitey Bulger.
When Bulger’s turf is encroached on by a rival mafia family, the Angiulo brothers, the death of one of his own mafia family members leads him to join his long-time friend and become an informant for the FBI to exact his revenge - and push the Angiulo’s out of his turf.
