‘The Departed’ Mistakes You’ll Never Be Able to Unsee

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Martin Scorsese’s ‘The Departed‘ is a fast-paced and powerfully acted crime thriller, but it has a few minor continuity errors and prop mistakes. Once you notice them, they’re hard to unsee! These aren’t about artistic choices—they’re simply things that didn’t quite line up on screen during editing. If you’re interested in the technical side of filmmaking, here are ten specific mistakes you can look for when you watch the movie again.

The briefing-room map that falls… then magically reappears

During a tense discussion about the security cameras, Ellerby angrily gestured and accidentally knocked a map off the wall. Surprisingly, the map reappears in the very next shot, as if it had never fallen, even though no one is shown putting it back up. This creates a noticeable jump in the scene’s continuity, happening right in the middle of his scolding.

A bloody phone button that cleans itself between cuts

Immediately after Queenan dies, Sullivan uses his cell phone, leaving a bloody smudge on the keypad. However, when the camera view shifts, the blood is no longer visible on the button. The camera focuses back, and the phone is still clean – there’s no indication anyone wiped it. This is a change in the prop’s appearance between quick cuts, happening within the same instant.

Costello’s funeral-card handwriting changes mid-scene

During his mother’s funeral, Billy Costigan finds a sympathy card signed by Frank Costello. The signature looks bold and strong when viewed from a distance, but in a close-up shot, it appears much thinner and different. There’s no explanation for this change – the two signatures simply don’t look like they were written by the same person.

Incense smoke resets during young Sullivan’s Mass

During a church scene with Colin Sullivan, the priest swings a censer, creating incense smoke. The editing jumps forward, and suddenly the smoke is gone, with the priest back in the starting position, then immediately begins swinging the censer again. This creates a noticeable jump cut because the timing and movement don’t match up – it’s like the same moment is played twice using different camera angles.

The tissue box that rearranges itself in Madolyn’s office

During a scene where Costigan visits Madolyn in her office, a tissue box on her desk appears to move slightly between different camera angles. The number of tissues visible and how much they stick out also changes. This is a minor mistake in visual consistency – a simple prop error.

Coffee cup appears, toothpick disappears in the café

During the coffee shop scene with Madolyn, there’s a noticeable continuity error with Costigan. He’s holding a toothpick in his mouth while speaking, but after a quick cut in the scene, a coffee cup appears near his lips and the toothpick is suddenly gone. The editing makes it seem like the toothpick and cup instantly switch places, and the way his hand moves to his mouth doesn’t quite line up between different shots.

Ellerby’s sweat patterns don’t stay consistent

During the presentation about the new microprocessor, sweat stains are visible on Ellerby’s shirt. These stains strangely change throughout the scene – sometimes larger, sometimes fainter, even appearing to disappear and then reappear – with no explanation related to what’s happening on screen. It’s a clear mistake in maintaining consistent clothing throughout different camera angles.

Patrol-car light bars turn on—then on again

During a scene with Costello and Mr. French, the police car lights don’t appear to turn on consistently. A quick series of shots shows the lights activating at different times – first one car’s light bar, then others, and then another – as if the sequence is being repeated from multiple recordings. The lighting doesn’t match up between each camera angle.

Costello’s cigarette vanishes between lines

Early in the movie, when Costello says his famous line about “cops or criminals,” he’s holding a cigarette. However, when he begins the next line, the cigarette mysteriously disappears – there’s no visible action showing him putting it down. The next shot simply continues as if nothing happened, creating a noticeable continuity error with the small prop.

Sullivan’s call display shows different numbers

After the death in the warehouse, Sullivan calls Costigan, and the outgoing number on his phone is visible. When Costigan calls back shortly after, the number displayed on Costigan’s phone is different from the one Sullivan originally dialed. The phones themselves haven’t changed – it’s just the numbers shown on the screen that are inconsistent, and this is clearly visible in close-up shots of the phone displays.

Did you spot another hidden detail in ‘The Departed’? Share it in the comments and let us know when to pause the movie!

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2025-11-13 17:45