Examples Of Masculinity In The Departed

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Question: How are the issues of identity and masculinity crucial in the construction of Scorsese’s visual text The Departed?

INTRODUCTION
The Departed is a crime drama film directed by Martin Scorsese. The story takes place in South Boston where young undercover cop Billy Costigan is assigned to infiltrate mob organisation ran by gangland chief Frank Costello. Costello has a young criminal who has infiltrated the state police as an informer for his organisation; Colin Sullivan. Scorsese used many sources of masculinity and identity in his text. Hyper-masculinity is the attributes and roles associated with men. Identity is the way you are viewed by the world and the characteristics that define you. A scene for identity and two scenes for masculinity …show more content…
One of the scenes where masculinity is portrayed is when Costigan was being brutally asked if he’s a cop by Costello. Scorsese displayed an original example of masculinity in that scene. The purpose of it was to show the resiliency of men and they’re willpower. Scorsese had used it to show the resiliency and self-determination of Costigan to the audience. Costigan displayed resilience and willpower when Costello asked if he was a cop while his fractured wrist was constantly being smashed by his heavy boot. Coarse language and mild violence are used between Costigan and Costello to demonstrate hyper-masculinity. Costigan’s characterisation is portrayed through dressing to suit his personality as an undercover cop as there was no way that someone could discover that he was an undercover cop. He dressed himself to blend into the culture of Boston as an everyday citizen by wearing a black baggy cotton jacket with a grey undershirt. Whereas Costello is dressed professionally as it displayed that he is the gangland chief of his own organisation. The camera angles used in the scene were impressive as it showed the pain Costigan was going through when his fractured wrist was being hammered with his own shoe by Costello. Another scene which contained issue of masculinity will be
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