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Saw an alternate ending for The Departed on YouTube last night and it totally changed how I see the movie
Was up late scrolling and stumbled on a version where Sullivan gets caught way earlier by Queenan. Makes me wonder if other directors have hidden endings that are actually better than whats in theaters.
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jamesfox23d ago
No way, they let Sullivan get caught by Queenan? That's wild. I always thought the whole tension of the movie was built on him barely slipping through. An ending where he gets got earlier would completely change the stakes. Makes you wonder if Scorsese shot like six different versions. I guess some directors just sit on alternate cuts forever.
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troy83223d ago
Right? I've been in post-production on smaller stuff and you'd be surprised how many alternate scenes end up on the cutting room floor. @jamesfox hit it on the head about the tension. That narrow escape is the whole engine of the second half. If Queenan catches him earlier, the whole vibe shifts from a tightrope walk to just... a different movie. My buddy worked on a film where the director had three completely different endings and just picked one the week before the premiere. Scorsese probably has a vault full of alternate takes on this one. Sometimes the best call is the one that keeps the audience on edge the whole way through.
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taylor.amy16d agoTop Commenter
That thing about directors picking endings late is wild but it makes me wonder if the real genius of The Departed is what they left on the floor, not what they kept. A version where Sullivan gets caught earlier could have been the director testing the limits of the story before pulling back to the tightrope walk we got. Sometimes the best cut is the one that shows what could have been, even if nobody ever sees it.
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