Was this whole movie all for naught?

It is quite a downer of an ending, and the movie is very powerful for that reason.






My first feature: available here!

That's what makes it so good though. 
You don't get what you expect. It's downright depressing, but I find it refreshing for that reason.

As unsatisfying as a movie with no winners may be, there's no denying it leaves an impact. And, it's something that rings true for so many.


Hey there, Johnny Boy, I hope you fry!

It is a mafia film, so that is kinda expected

Many Hong Kong movies at the time were like that. The infatuation with "Happy Endings" just happens in American movies.

The Departed was a remake of a Hong Kong movie. In the original Hong Kong version, the hero died and the villain won. He became a cop and no one ever knew (even to the 3rd and final movie.) In the American remake, the hero still died, but then the villain is killed by the hero's boss. Basically he's the real hero in the remake version.

Yep, that's what makes it special. This is one of the very few action movies out there that shows how horrible violence really is. For all the hokeyness this film contains, the way John Woo is able to both celebrate and denounce violence at the same time is quite an accomplishment.