When he found the "citizen" envelope on the desk why didn't he get his identity back and then just turn Sullivan into the police? It doesn't make sense how he handled the situation at the end. Please help me understand this
shareSullivan would kill Costigan that night, he wouldn't give him his money and identity and let him go. He erased Costigan's identity from the computer, then he would kill him, and there would be nobody left to bother him. Costigan did the right thing to leave as soon as he noticed the envelope on Sullivan's desk. Sullivan was too dangerous. Plus Bill wanted to arrest Sullivan and make him pay for all he had done.
shareHe had no idea what Sullivan was going to do after he came back "with his money and identity."
If he kept eyes on him when he left, he'd be able to have him followed, and then kill him whenever (which he planned on doing probably right after he left).
But by leaving when ole boy didn't have eyes on him, he could make a 100% clean getaway, and then have time to regroup, re-plot, clear his head, and think this whole thing through. Obviously he came up with a pretty shyte plan that got him busted in the head.
If not for Digman with foresight, he'd have gotten away with it, and probably went on to shoot through the ranks, and become the chief, or whoever the top guy is in the staties in 10 years.
Or he could have kept Costigan's payout, and afforded to leave the staties, adn that whole life behind and go to law school.... Fooking Suffolk... Nights...
Sometimes your emotion at that moment overrules your ability to think calmly and you just act rashly. That happened to me once, I ruined evidence because I was so emotionally distraught, not thinking I'd need it later on as proof.
People do stupid things plenty of times because they're not thinking with their head but with their heart.
Global Warming, it's a personal decision innit? - Nigel Tufnel
Would've been one's word against the other's... One is a state police sergeant, the other a man with virtually no identity. It's pretty obvious Sullivan would've easily lied his way out of whatever accusations Costigan could've made, based on him possessing that envelope, alone. Further, he doesn't know who he can trust, which is why he turns to agent Trooper and Dignam, at the end, since those are the last two people on Earth he's aware of who know who he really is.
shareAnybody out there knows that in today's offices there is tape backup. "Erasing Costigan's identity" doesn't solve Sullivan's problem with Costigan. Merely restoring his "identity" resolves this. But still, all in all, it was a great movie.
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