Brilliant John Ford Movie however it hasnt stood the test of time like some of Fords other films such as The Searchers but it is still a great movie.

Effective and atmospheric tale of a desperate man (McLaglen) who informs on a friend and IRA leader for the reward during the Irish rebellion in the early 1920's.

Victor McLaglen is brilliant as the penniless, hard drinking, quick tempered Irishman... (read more) Effective and atmospheric tale of a desperate man (McLaglen) who informs on a friend and IRA leader for the reward during the Irish rebellion in the early 1920's.

Victor McLaglen is brilliant as the penniless, hard drinking, quick tempered Irishman Gypo Nolan, who was once a member of the IRA but was thrown out. He battles his conscience before making the decision to inform, blames an innocent man, but eventually his drinking and revelry bring suspicion upon him.

Surprisingly this film has the distinction of being the most censored in history with the British Board of Censors making 129 cuts all of which referred to the Irish troubles and the participants.

This was pretty damned great. Not a wasted or drawn out scene. Ford takes a huge leap forward in the style dept that sadly wasn't utilized in his more high profile FOX pictures. Hard to imagine CITIZEN KANE without this one coming first.

Perhaps the first American film to show the European expressionism in the visuals but still has that American/Irish poetic acting and dialog that makes it an original.

Never mind that the year this seems to be set in should be around 1920-21, not 1922 (which is after the treaty between Ireland and Britain was signed). This is a well-done movie with a powerful message nonetheless.

Even though you know what will happen to Gypo, watching his demise play out is on the level of seeing a Greek tragedy unfold.

Tourne en peu de temps, avec tres peu d'argent et avec pratiquement pas de decor (grande influence du courant expressionisme allemand), The Informer est l'un des meilleurs films de Ford. L'histoire veut que Ford terrorisa et malmena V. McLaglen en le... (read more) Tourne en peu de temps, avec tres peu d'argent et avec pratiquement pas de decor (grande influence du courant expressionisme allemand), The Informer est l'un des meilleurs films de Ford. L'histoire veut que Ford terrorisa et malmena V. McLaglen en le saoulant et en l'engueulant, changeant ses horaires de tournages et tournait lors des repetitions. L'effet est tres reussi, la performance de McLaglen est exceptionelle. Film universel et sans epoque, a voir absolument

The simplicity of the story provides a wide margin to take care of other relevant aspects. Main characters performance, social scenario of that time, human values,... Probably boring or lacking in interest for the youngest generations but it's a mand... (read more) The simplicity of the story provides a wide margin to take care of other relevant aspects. Main characters performance, social scenario of that time, human values,... Probably boring or lacking in interest for the youngest generations but it's a mandatory film.

Far be it from me to dump on a classic and one that has such a sympathetic view of Ireland but I sense that the expressionistic landscape of the film has less to due with Ford's admiration of Murnau and more to do with a lack of money. That and no on... (read more) Far be it from me to dump on a classic and one that has such a sympathetic view of Ireland but I sense that the expressionistic landscape of the film has less to due with Ford's admiration of Murnau and more to do with a lack of money. That and no one had a convincing Irish accent to save their life which sort affects the sense of verisimilitude with the story being set in Dublin and all. Plus the romance angle seemed forced and trite. Still McLaglen does some of his best work here and John Ford had many dates with Monument Valley in his future.

A John Ford film noir, very good looking, but not very subtle. Compare with The Wind that Shakes the Barley. Or (re-)imagine it set in Afghanistan, Iraq, or Israel/Palestine.