Though those of us who have seen the original film on which The Departed is based (Infernal Affairs) will be well aware that Leonardo DiCaprio's character is to be shot dead while waiting in the lift, Martin Scorsese's direction is so smoothly controlled that the sheer tension of waiting for it to happen ensures that it's still plenty nerve-wracking when it does. Part of the appeal is that many no doubt expected this scene to be removed from the US version, but Scorsese's ups the ante from the original, making it snappier, more sharply-directed and simply more shocking. As for those who haven't seen the original, it's shocking simply because it comes out of nowhere. The expectation for these viewers would be that Leo would make it out in the end, when instead, he's shot through the brain without any fanfare at all. Brilliant.