The Johnny Depp Crime Drama That Will Break Your Heart

By Kevin C. Neece
| Published 1 hour ago

Johnny Depp’s 1997 mafia film Donnie Brasco tells the story of an FBI agent who infiltrates a crime family in the 1970s, and the emotional conflict within which he finds himself.

That conflict is rooted in the heartbreaking difficulty of betrayal the agent experiences after he befriends and wins the trust of a person who will almost certainly end up dead because of the scheme.

In the film, Johnny Depp plays Joe Pistone, a young FBI agent who poses as jewel thief Donnie Brasco in order to infiltrate the Bonanno crime family in New York. The movie is based on the 1988 book Donnie Brasco: My Undercover Life in the Mafia by the real Joseph D. Pistone and Richard Woodley.

Creative Liberties Were Taken

While the book relates Pistone’s accounts of his real-life undercover operation, the film fictionalizes the story quite a bit and ends up loosely based on its source material.

Appearing alongside Johnny Depp is Al Pacino as Lefty Ruggiero, an enforcer for the Bonanno crime family who befriends and vouches for Pistone as Brasco. The story focuses on the relationship between the two men as Pistone becomes increasingly uncomfortable with the looming end result of his goals. The film and its screenplay by Paul Attanasio were widely praised upon its 1997 theatrical release.

Long before he became associated with Captain Jack Sparrow, Johnny Depp was riding his career’s first wave of success, following his roles in Edward Scissorhands (1990), Benny & Joon (1993), and What’s Eating Gilbert Grape? (1993).

Depp had also won a London Film Critics’ Circle Actor of the Year award for his performance in Ed Wood the previous year. Already showing the diversity of his talent, the actor was moving seamlessly between fantasy, comedy, and drama, with his taste for the weird and wacky on full display.

Johnny Depp showed yet another side to himself in Donnie Brasco, compellingly leading a serious crime drama that nonetheless tells a heart-rending human story. His performance in the film was widely praised by critics who noted the believability and grace in his exploration of the role, but this success followed a rather winding production road for the film.

Development And Casting Were Crucial

Long before Johnny Depp or Al Pacino became involved with the project, the film rights were purchased by Louis DiGiaimo, who had known Joseph D. Pistone since their childhood years. DiGiamo was a casting director for Barry Levinson and brought the property to the attention of producers Gail Mutrux and Mark Johnson, and Levinson’s Baltimore Pictures. Paul Attanasio was brought on to write the script with Stephen Frears set to direct.

In 1990, the year of Johnny Depp’s breakout in Edward Scissorhands, Martin Scorsese also released his now-classic mob movie, Goodfellas, causing the film’s production to be pushed back. As the film languished in development for a few years, Frears eventually left the project, with Mike Newell stepping in as director. In 1996, development finally moved forward with Pacino cast as Lefty, a casting for which Frears had long advocated.

Pistone himself was brought on as a character development consultant for the two leads. Rounding out the primary cast were Michael Madsen as Sonny Black, Bruno Kirby as Nicky Santora, James Russo as Paulie, and Anne Heche as Maggie Pistone. The film premiered in the US in February of 1997 with a UK release that May.

Depp’s Range On Full Display

While Johnny Depp is best known for more cartoonish roles like Captain Jack Sparrow, revisiting his grounded turn in Donnie Brasco shows just how nuanced and engaging his performance can be. Even his broad comedic roles are built on the same thoughtful approach he brings to playing Joe Pistone.

Donnie Brasco serves as a great reminder of why Depp became a star in the first place, and it’s currently available to watch on-demand through YouTube, Fandango at Home, and Prime Video.