When Martin Scorsese won Best Director at the Academy Awards, many of his colleagues referred to it slyly as a “lifetime achievement Oscar.” The Italian filmmaker had been praised for 30 years, from his dark hit Taxi Driver, starring then-newcomer Robert De Niro, to 2006’s The Departed, winner of four Oscars. Fans and critics have wondered why it took so long for Scorsese to be honored in this way. Was it The Departed’s star-studded cast? Was it a spontaneous decision, when the Academy realized it was long overdue? No one knows for sure, but The Departed is clearly on its way to becoming another honored classic.

Did You Know?

Jack Nicholson’s character in The Departed is partially based on real-life crime boss James “Whitey” Bulger. Allegedly, Bulger was sighted in 2006 leaving a San Diego theater that was showing the film. He is currently #2 on the FBI’s Most Wanted list, just below Osama Bin Laden.

Martin Scorsese wanted to film the movie in Boston, where The Departed is set, but the studio chose New York because of its 15% tax credit for filmmakers. Following the success of The Departed, Massachusetts instituted a 25% tax credit.

Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon) states in The Departed that Freud once said the Irish can’t be psychoanalyzed. In reality, there is no proof that Freud said any such thing.

Warner Brothers owns remake rights to The Departed (to the tune of $1.75 million); The Departed itself is a remake of a Japanese film.

If you think you know Boston’s underbelly, try your hand at The Departed social movie trivia. Fans of the director can check out all our Martin Scorsese social movie trivia as well.

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