BelSports This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

Brainsbell The story-telling is good with flashbacks.The film is both funny and heartbreaking. You smile in a scene and get a soulcrushing revelation in the next.

Donald Seymour This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

Lachlan Coulson This is a gorgeous movie made by a gorgeous spirit.

gavin6942 Dublin, 1920. Gypo Nolan, strong but none too bright, has been ousted from the rebel organization and is starving. When he finds that his equally destitute sweetheart Katie has been reduced to prostitution, he succumbs to temptation and betrays his former comrade Frankie to the British authorities for a 20 pound reward.Along with Mutiny on the Bounty, The Informer was a big contender at the 8th Academy Awards, competing directly in all six categories they were nominated for (though Mutiny got eight nominations in total, given its ridiculous three Best Actor nominations). Though Mutiny on the Bounty ended up winning Best Picture, The Informer did win every other nomination, including Best Film Editing; Best Director for Ford, Best Actor for McLaglen, Best Writing Screenplay for Nichols, and Best Score. Well done regarding the Best Actor win, which was clearly an uphill battle.For many people, John Ford is best associated with westerns, or "Stagecoach" or John Wayne. And that is very fair. But before any of these, he had success with "The Informer". Ford, although born in America, was very proud of his Irish roots, and it is not surprising he would take on this project, along with a few other Irish-themed choices. His passion is clearly evident in the material.

bsmith5552 In "The Informer", John Ford works his magic by giving us a dark and moody masterpiece limited by the low budget for the film. The low production values are "masked" by creative lighting and strategically placed fog to cover the shortcomings of the set pieces.Victor McLaglen in an Oscar winning performance, plays Gypo Nolan a dim witted big oaf of a man in 1922 Ireland who is wandering the streets of Dublin broke and disillusioned. He laments that the British think that he is with the Irish and the Irish think he is with the British.Gypo sees a poster for his friend Frankie McPhillip (Wallace Ford) offering a 20 pound reward (considerable for the time) for murder. He decides to inform on him and collect the reward. McPhillip is killed by the police and Gypo starts to have guilt feelings. He tries to console McPhillip's family, (Una O'Connor, Heather Angel) but arouses suspicion with Irish Republican Army (IRA) members Joe Sawyer and Steve Pendleton.Gypo then heads for the local pub and gets drunk buying drinks for the house. There, a hanger on named Terry (J.M. Kerrigan) attach's himself to Gypo and dubs him "King Gypo". The IRA men seeing this, report him to their leader Dan Gallagher (Preston Foster). Meanwhile we learn that Gypo is sweet on local prostitute Katie Madden (Margot Grahame). He tells her that he informed in order to obtain the money to look after her.The IRA convene a "court" to judge the innocence or guilt of Gypo and the man he has accused, Mulligan (Donald Meek) and then...............John Ford as always got maximum performances from his actors. McLaglen in the role of a lifetime, is outstanding. I thought J.M. Kerrigan as Gypo's "friend" stood out as well. The lovely Heather Angel is given little to do except plead for an end to "all this killing". The female acting honors go to Grahame as Gypo's tragic girlfriend. Una O'Connor gives one of her patented cries when informed of her son's death. Watch for a bearded Francis Ford (brother of John) as one of the "judges" in the trial sequence.A great film that has lost none of its impact after 80 years.

Spikeopath The Informer is directed by John Ford and adapted by Dudley Nichols from the story written by Liam O'Flaherty. It stars Victor McLaglen, Heather Angel, Preston Foster, Margot Grahame, Wallace Ford & Una O'Connor. Max Steiner scores the music and Joseph H. August is the cinematographer.1922, the Irish War of Independence, and Gypo Nolan (McLaglen) informs on his friend Frankie McPhillip (W Ford), a prominent member if the IRA. Collecting his reward money from the "Black & Tans," Nolan plans to start a new life in America with his girlfriend Katie Madden (Grahame), but as he gets drunk and starts to flash the cash, the Republican Army start to close in on Gypo....Some of the best reviews of his career were given to John Ford for The Informer, a film that was also a big hit at the Academy Awards, where it won for Best Director, Best Actor, Best Writing (screenplay) and Best Score. Its reputation over the decades has remained mostly positive, tho time has shown it to not be the masterpiece many lauded it as at the time. Ford directs with force, a force matched by McLalgen, and the writing is intelligent (tho it should be noted that Ford & Nichols considerably toned down the source story). The work of August nods toward German expressionism, with shadows, smog and low lights neatly making the sets actually look like 1920s Dublin. While Steiner's score is tonally correct and McLaglen is well supported by Grahame and Foster.However, Ford's psychological study on a modern day Judas, lacks the power today that the critics felt it had on release. It at times is what it is, McLaglen getting boozed up and getting louder and louder the drunker he gets. It's only when put under pressure by the IRA that McLagen really gets to show some acting gravitas, forced to town down and show Gypo to be the unfortunate and well meaning oaf that he is, McLaglen earns his plaudits; but is it the rich characterisation it was heralded as? Debatable, and no doubt about it, this lacks the complexity and ambiguity that shows up in many of Ford's greatest film's. Absent, too, is any great dramatic thrust, particularly in regards to the finale. Still, all things considered, it's still a fine piece of work, even if it now can't hope to live up to the reputation afforded it back in the 30s. 7/10

ackstasis Yet again, early morning television proves an invaluable resource for films that I otherwise would never have been able to track down. At four o'clock in the morning, I stumbled out of bed to begin recording 'The Informer (1935),' my fourth film from prolific American director John Ford, and an excellent one at that. Set during the Irish Civil War in 1922, the screenplay was adapted by Dudley Nichols from the novel of the same name by Liam O'Flaherty. Though he was born in the United States, and is most renowned for his "Americana" pictures, both of Ford's parents were Irish, which explains the director's decision to direct the film. Victor McLaglen plays Gypo Nolan, a brutish but well-meaning ruffian who informs on an old friend, Frankie McPhillip (Wallace Ford), in order to claim the £20 reward for his girlfriend, Katie (Margot Grahame). When Frankie is killed during his attempted arrest, the Irish Republican Army, of which both Frankie and Gypo were members, begins to investigate the traitor behind the incident, every clue bringing them closer and closer to the real culprit.Meanwhile, Gypo is plagued with guilt for his friend's untimely death, and descends into a bout of heavy-drinking that rivals Don Birnam in 'The Lost Weekend (1945)' in its excessiveness. As Gypo drowns his sorrows in copious volumes of alcohol, trapped in a vicious little circle of depression, his extravagant spending captures the attention of the investigating IRA members. For the one time in his life, Gypo finds himself surrounded by admirers (including an amusing J.M. Kerrigan), who enthusiastically clap him on the back and christen him "King Gypo" for his physical might. However, it's obvious that these people feel no affection for the man, and are simple showing him attention to exploit him for money. The additional £20 brought by Frankie's death could never buy Gypo an assembly of friends – indeed, in a bitter twist of irony, the money was only made possible by the betrayal and loss of one of his only good companions. A relatively simple fellow, Gypo could not possibly have fully considered the consequences of his actions, and is eventually offered forgiveness on account of his "not knowing what he was doing," but his foolishness must not go unpunished.Criticism is occasionally levelled at Ford's film for its allegedly propagandistic support of a "terrorist" organisation. Though this stance obviously depends on one's personal views {I certainly don't know enough Irish history to pass judgement}, there's no doubt that the film portrays the Irish Republican Army as selfless, dedicated and impartial, a proud piece of Irish patriotism if I ever saw it. However, the main theme of the story is that of betrayal; driven by intense poverty, one ordinary man betrays the confidence of his good friend, and comes to deeply regret his actions. The tormented Gypo is played mainly for pity, and Victor McLaglen gives a powerful performance that betrays a lifetime of unsatisfying existence, culminating in one terrible decision that condemns him to an uneasy death. 'The Informer' was John Ford's first major Oscar success, winning a total of four awards (from six nominations), including Best Actor for McLaglen {who snatched the statue from the three-way favourites of 'Mutiny on the Bounty (1935)'}, Best Director and Best Screenplay for Dudley Nichols {who declined the award due to Union disagreements}.