There is an oft-used euphemism among mafia types, at least according to popular culture. We can hear and see it in Donnie Brasco (1997), and it goes, “Forget about it.” Of course, I cannot replicate the proper accent while typing, but the title character, whose real name is Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent Joseph Pistone (Johnny Depp), explains it as being something said to cover every emotional state from astonishment to resignation. What we shall see is that he would likely want to forget about everything he endures while working undercover for the government in order to take down organized crime. He witnesses and participates in a great deal that God would typically frown upon, and at one point he asks whether it has been worth it. I will tell you now that it is worth continuing to read or seeing the film, except for a few eminently skippable parts.

That question of whether the job is worth the spiritual and personal cost begins in Donnie Brasco in New York City in 1978, where Special Agent Pistone, working undercover as jewel broker Donnie Brasco, catches the attention of aging mobster Benjamin “Lefty” Ruggiero (Al Pacino). Lefty is trying to unload a diamond, but Donnie tells him it is a fake, then helps him confront the man who gave it to him. Impressed, Lefty begins bringing Donnie into the orbit of the Bonanno crime family, introducing him to Sonny Black (Michael Madsen), Nicky (Bruno Kirby), and Paulie (James Russo), and making clear that he is responsible if Donnie proves untrustworthy. This is useful for the FBI, but increasingly dangerous for Special Agent Pistone, who gathers evidence while spending less time as Joseph with his wife, Maggie Pistone (Anne Heche), and their three daughters. Lefty, meanwhile, is hardly living a glamorous gangster life. He owes money, gambles unsuccessfully, worries about his drug-addicted son, and complains that he has little to show for the decades of service he has rendered to organized crime. Donnie becomes almost a surrogate son, complicating an assignment that would be easier if everyone involved were simply a monster. At home, Joseph’s absences strain his marriage, though one particularly Catholic reminder of the life he is neglecting comes when he helps one of his daughters recite her catechism before bed, affirming that God made her to show His goodness and that He is everywhere. It is difficult not to notice the contrast between that answer and the world her father must inhabit the moment he leaves the room. When Sonny Black gains greater authority in the family, Donnie’s usefulness grows with it. The FBI asks Special Agent Pistone to steer the crew toward Florida, where another undercover agent, Richie Gazzo (Rocco Sisto), poses as the owner of a shuttered club called King’s Court. Donnie introduces Richie to Lefty, and the mobsters see an opportunity to establish gambling operations there. Lefty hopes the venture will finally earn him respect, even arranging a yacht meeting with Florida boss Santo Trafficante (Val Avery), but Sonny Black inserts himself into the project and begins treating Donnie as his own man. Lefty feels betrayed by the protégé he brought into the family and briefly cuts him off. Their bond is restored when Lefty’s son nearly dies from a drug overdose and Donnie is the one who comes to comfort him. The Florida venture fares badly. King’s Court is raided on opening night by corrupt local police, costing the crew money and humiliating Sonny Black. The raid is connected to rival Sonny Red (Robert Miano), intensifying suspicions of betrayal. Back in New York, Sonny Black strikes first. Getting to the venue for a proposed meeting, Sonny Black’s men ambush their rivals, murdering them. Donnie is brought along afterward to help dispose of the bodies, forcing Special Agent Pistone to participate in increasingly gruesome criminal activity while maintaining his cover. Nicky is later killed as well after falling under suspicion, and the distinction between observing evil and becoming entangled in it grows increasingly uncomfortable. Joseph’s behavior at home changes accordingly. Maggie tells him that he is becoming like the men he investigates, and their marriage deteriorates badly enough that they attend counseling and discuss divorce. Joseph also misses required check-ins with the FBI, while his supervisors worry that he has become too involved with the criminals he is supposed to expose. Their concern is justified most clearly by Lefty. Special Agent Pistone knows that when his identity is revealed, Lefty will probably pay with his life. Sonny Black’s rise brings the operation toward its breaking point when Lefty tells Donnie that killing Bruno (Brian Tarantina), Sonny Red’s son, will allow Donnie to become a “made man,” thus rising in mob rank. While waiting for their chance, Donnie tries to persuade Lefty to walk away, even offering him money, but Lefty becomes suspicious and points a gun at him. Before either man can kill Bruno, FBI agents intervene, arresting Donnie and Lefty and effectively ending the undercover operation before Special Agent Pistone is forced to commit murder. Agents later visit Sonny Black’s crew and reveal that Donnie Brasco was Joseph Pistone all along. This is followed by Lefty receiving a summons he understands perfectly. Knowing he will likely be killed for bringing an FBI agent into the family, he quietly removes his jewelry and valuables and leaves them for his wife before walking out to meet his fate. Special Agent Pistone, meanwhile, returns to the government world he was serving all along, where he is awarded a medal and a $500 check for an operation that produced more than 200 indictments and over 100 convictions. The final shot features Special Agent Pistone looking out through haunted eyes, with Maggie saying that it is over and telling him to come home.

How does Special Agent Pistone “come home” at the end of Donnie Brasco after everything he has seen and done? Can a medal replace everything he experienced with Lefty? Or can $500 substitute for the thousands that passed through his hands? What is interesting about the film is that, like the way Catholicism is perceived, it presents the life of organized crime as a set of rules. If you follow them and are loyal, you will be rewarded. This is how Lefty looks at the life he has lived working as a “wise guy” for the Bonanno crime syndicate. I will go ahead and point out the obvious difference that, in the Church, if you sin, you do not have a priest knocking on your door to murder you. At the same time, there are consequences worse than such a death if one persists in a sinful life. This is one of the reasons why the scene with Special Agent Pistone and his daughter is so special. The fact that she recites that God made her to be an image of His love is special. However, it is the second part of her response on which I would like to focus. She mentions that God is everywhere. Because God is everywhere, He sees all that we do. He is a far better recorder of human action than we could ever hope to be. Instead of being intimidated by that, we should feel blessed that the Creator of the cosmos would take such care of us. It is also something Special Agent Pistone would do well to remember. People like him are put in unenviable positions, and by participating in organized crime, even with the tacit approval of the government, he is doing good. It is not the strongest point because the Church also believes that the ends do not justify the means, but it is worth bringing up because he is so deep undercover that he begins to lose perspective. God is always there to bring us back, just as his daughter would suggest.

I do not know if I would suggest that you see Donnie Brasco, although it is a quality movie. There are a couple of pointless topless scenes, and the violence gets a little gruesome. At the same time, it provides a window into the toll undercover work can take on a person.