MovieChat Forums > The Departed (2006) Discussion > It shouldn't have ended like this

It shouldn't have ended like this

posted 7 years ago by wlan
4 replies | jump to latest

The way it should have ended:

-Costigan arrests Sullivan and takes him to police station
-Dignam returns from absence
-Dignam & Costigan proves Sullivan is the rat
-Sullivan gets life sentence without parole
-Costigan is accepted to Massachusetts State Police as a Staff Sergeant and given medal of honour
-Dignam gets promoted
-Barrigan's cover is not blown. He continues being a cop, but quits being a mole
-Costigan & Madolyn gets married, Madolyn gives birth to Costigan's baby
-Gwen inherits Costello's assets, moves to Los Angeles and lives a rich life

[–] SportsPhan8 7 years ago

Sounds like a great idea, but movies are like this for a reason= to destroy viewers' hopes for the nice characters to win/come out alive and well.

[–] The-Social-Introvert 7 years ago

Walberg's character should not have existed. Sullivan should have 'won' and continue being a cop. That would have been a killer ending.

[–] Crockett16 7 years ago

"Walberg's character should not have existed. Sullivan should have 'won' and continue being a cop. That would have been a killer ending."

That was how it was in Infernal Affairs (the original version of this film). I totally agree with that because if you look carefully, the only real purpose for Dignam to exist is to kill Sullivan at the end.

The watch dog of public safety. Is there any lower form of life?

[–] example123456789 7 years ago

I kind of disagree, even if I can see what you mean. To me, Sullivan winning and living the good life would have been a forced "killer ending", like the meaning was too much in my face. I don't even think there is such a precise meaning too. The point of the movie is not that "the bad guys are everywhere, they win, that's life", but more like "who is the bad guy? who is the good? there is any difference?"
That's why I see Sullivan's death a cohesive ending with the rest of the movie. I think it's more cohesive even with the violence and the tension of the movie.