"The Departed" freeze-frame effects

[Troy Warr]

I watched Martin Scorsese's "The Departed" for the first time the other day, and really loved it.

 

I noticed that the editing employed a trick that I also noticed in "Goodfellas" - a deliberate freeze-frame effect on gunshots, collisions, flashes, etc. It isn't used all the time, but I noticed it a few times in a row during the climax near the end - where Nicholson is cornered in the warehouse by the cops. At first I thought the DVD was skipping, but I freeze-framed through and it still occurred. It's very subtle, but at the very least you'll likely notice something odd if you're watching closely.

 

In "Goodfellas," it happens during flashbulbs when Karen & Henry get married and break the wine glass on the floor. There are even a few missing frames that create a mild jump cut. I think it might even be present in "Raging Bull," though I'm not sure.

 

Has anyone else noticed this? I actually find it kind of distracting, but it seems to be a signature of either Scorsese or Thelma Schoonmaker.