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- Who *Was* “Whitey” Bulger?
- James “Whitey” Bulger Was a Dangerous Man to Offend
- The Departed and Other Film Portrayals
As a seasoned film critic with a penchant for biopics and a soft spot for gangster movies, I can’t help but be captivated by Johnny Depp‘s transformative performance as Whitey Bulger in “Black Mass.” The man truly became the monster, or should I say, the mobster.
Warning: This article reveals plot details about the 2015 film ‘Black Mass’. When Johnny Depp portrayed gangster James Bulger in ‘Black Mass’, he didn’t anticipate dealing with disgruntled mobsters, aside from the common complaints of movie critics. It seems everyone is a critic. Director Scott Cooper was particularly cautious about upsetting dangerous individuals like Bulger, who had been on the FBI’s Most Wanted List and previously resided in Alcatraz. Whether or not Depp received any threatening letters from prison, it’s clear James Bulger was someone you wouldn’t want as an adversary or a friend.
As comfortable mingling with G-men as he was with low-life loan sharks and hitmen, Boston kingpin James “Whitey” Bulger made his bones in the ’70s and ’80s, showing no remorse. Freeing his way out of trouble, time and again, his lengthy crime spree was largely due to the ace up his sleeve. Bulger’s tale is a textbook example of why crime doesn’t pay. Chalking up an estimated 11 murders to his name as the ringleader of the “Winter Hill Gang” (at least those are the ones the feds could pin on him), Bulger used his wits and some outside help to assist in taking over turf in ’70s-era Massachusetts. We’ll get to his secret associates shortly.
Wise advice from crime movies suggests that one should maintain close relationships with friends and keep enemies in check, but it’s challenging to discern the difference with Bulger. His friendliness towards law enforcement didn’t boost his standing among criminal associates, which might be why he fought arrest so vigorously. He’s not someone you’d want to upset due to his history of violence, yet his main concerns turned out to be more substantial than an actor imitating his Boston accent.
Who *Was* “Whitey” Bulger?
Contrary to popular belief, Bulger wasn’t Italian, but Irish. He was an outsider even among other outsiders and found himself in a precarious position. His adversaries were the Patriarca syndicate, a rival gang fighting for dominance over the drug trade and prostitution networks in New England. Remarkably, the head of this syndicate, Raymond Patriarca, was identified by FBI director J. Edgar Hoover as the Bureau’s top adversary. The FBI had marked him as their target, but they lacked a means of approach.
In my eyes, it was when the humble street operator started climbing the ladder, transitioning from manipulating horse races to extortion, racketeering, and arms dealing. Notably, his most notable achievement, if one could call it that, was his association with FBI agent John Connolly, portrayed in the movie by Joel Edgerton.
Following an intense advertising campaign that bombarded daytime TV viewers with tips in 2011, an unidentified individual tipped off the authorities about his California hideout. Known as a stool pigeon, he met his end while serving two consecutive life sentences, being murdered in prison. His informant status ultimately led to his demise when he was transferred from a secure Florida prison to a less safe West Virginia penitentiary in 2018, where he fell victim to a planned assassination by fellow prisoners seeking retribution for Bulger’s past crimes, thus violating the criminal code of ethics. Bulger was accused of murder and betraying fellow gangsters, placing him at the bottom of the prison pecking order.
James “Whitey” Bulger Was a Dangerous Man to Offend
In Black Mass, Bulger found issue with his portrayal not just because Depp altered his teeth for the character, as reported by USA Today. He stated, “It would have been easy to approach this project like any other gangster film.” However, it was not like Willy Wonka. Depp aimed to bring something distinct to the role to set it apart from the numerous mafia films that were becoming repetitive. It seems like at an LA Lakers game, you can’t avoid hitting someone who played a mafia boss. If you throw that stone towards the court-side seats, you’ll likely hit one who portrayed Whitey Bulger.
Johnny Depp attempted to seek friendly advice from the convicted murderer regarding a role, but his request was turned down. As the film began pre-production, the convict balked at collaborating with the actor. According to the attorney’s defensive statements at the time, he may have feared that the dramatization could potentially incriminate him further and jeopardize any hopes for a surprise parole, given his deteriorating health. Undeterred, Depp remained committed to the true crime project and worked diligently to immerse himself in the character through acting and makeup, fully aware of the risks involved. In an interview with Variety, he shared his concern about every actor who wears makeup and prosthetics – the fear that the audience might perceive the role as nothing more than a wealthy individual indulging in fancy dress-up.
My goal is for the audience to forget about me as quickly as possible, within three to five minutes. If they can focus solely on the character and not be distracted by my appearance, we’ll be fine. However, if they notice right away that it’s just a man in makeup, I’m in trouble. There’s always that worry. But I trusted that makeup designer Joel Harlow would do an excellent job on ‘Black Mass’.
The bone of contention for the convict wasn’t about his physical resemblance but rather the main idea portrayed in the movie. The criminal argued he was framed, asserting that the FBI was actually the guilty party instigating the murders. He criticized the film for capitalizing on his persona and appearance. Additionally, the movie delves into an aspect that Time magazine reported as true: the use of acid by him in the ’50s. However, it’s claimed that the CIA forced prisoners to take LSD under the guise of scientific purposes, with the promise of a lighter prison sentence and early release, thereby circumventing justice. This was all at the expense of hard-earned taxpayer dollars.
The Departed and Other Film Portrayals
Johnny Depp’s portrayal of the Boston crime boss was generally well-received, if not by everyone. Bulger and his legal team, unsurprisingly, criticized the film’s depiction of events, with Bulger himself refusing to cooperate with the FBI. As for the movie based on his organized-crime biography, Cooper, in an interview with Deadline, didn’t express any remorse but did share some concerns, suggesting that the film had led to death threats against him.
I’d express, whenever one embarks on crafting a film based on true events with an aim for authenticity, one can’t help but constantly glance behind their shoulder. When depicting individuals who may find their portrayal unsettling, be prepared.
With great enthusiasm for portraying the role, Johnny Depp’s behaviors, speech, makeup, and special contact lenses were so convincing that Cooper commented many who had personal encounters with Bulger felt uneasy being around Depp on set due to the uncanny resemblance. Those who knew the ruthless crime lord noted a chilling yet captivating gaze coming from Bulger’s piercing blue eyes. This was an expression Depp aimed to mimic, as well as the contained, sociopathic fury that drove the Irish-American gangster.
Bulger is no stranger to the A-list treatment. As crime aficionados will recall, the Bostonian has been the subject of a couple of major Hollywood biographies over the years, a notable inspiration for Jack Nicholson’s pseudo-Bulger, Frank Costello, in The Departed. The Martin Scorsese drama veered from reality, and left out the whole acid testing by the US government and opted for creative liberties with the fate of his FBI handler. Unfortunately, we can’t ascertain Mr. Bulger’s review on that particular performance. He kept his mouth shut on that topic, unlike all the mobsters he ratted out. Maybe he was a Nicholson fan, or maybe he was just mortified to have Jack Sparrow portraying him. We’ll never know for sure. Black Mass is streaming now on Netflix.
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2024-09-25 05:31