Spoilers · the ending
The Departed: the ending, explained
Martin Scorsese · 2006
This page gives the ending away. Not seen the film yet? Its spoiler-free guide is here.
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Spoilers · the ending
Martin Scorsese · 2006
This page gives the ending away. Not seen the film yet? Its spoiler-free guide is here.
What happens
Billy is shot dead in an elevator, and Colin is hailed as a hero. But Madolyn has seen the truth, and Dignam shoots Colin in his apartment. The rat's lies finally collect their debt.
The last image
A rat scurries along a balcony railing outside Colin's apartment.
What it says
The ending refuses a clean victory. Nobody who wore a mask survives, and the rat says in one image what the film has argued all along: a life built on betrayal ends in betrayal. Scorsese is blunt on purpose.