The Informer

A simple story, told in a straight-forward - but always very competent - way. Whether or not you appreciate McLaglen's (Oscar-winning) acting-style, it's pretty damn good for a '30s-movie.

Great style that has the same nostalgic feel as the films of french poetic realism, Jean Gabin and all that. But apart from that it's a quite dull and simple film. It reminds you of classic tragedies, greek style, but it never surprises you. The leading character is quite good (reminds me of Robert de Niro at times), but the acting is hard to commit to, exagerated and coordinated. Having said all that, Ford really knows how to work his crew which creates a thoroughly mesmerizing atmosphere.

"Subtle" usually isn't in Ford's vocabulary, but this film has a slightly more complex morality than his usual work. But Ford makes a fatal mistake: he assumes your sympathies lie with the Sinn Fein. I didn't care what any of these idiots did to each other. And McLagen's performance is so over-the-top that I never developed any sympathy for him either, whether I was meant to or not. However, the black & white photography is very impressive. And there are some tense scenes, especially the trial.

Cinematography is great but the rest is a mixed bag, relying on sympathies that a modern viewer, or at least I personally, won't have. Also Margot Grahame's Irish accent is terrible. Even so it was an decent story and had some good dramatic moments. I continue to wish Ford had done an actual noir.

Apart from the chiaroscuro-drenched cinematography, there's not too much that's very admirable here. The film's dark nature is periodically muddled by hokey elements, from the laughable acting (McLaglen won an Oscar for being obnoxiously drunk throughout the entire film) to the blunt themes and symbolism.

An awful lot of hokey, theatrical silent-film touches. I mean, how many times can I watch McLaglen throw down his hat or slam his fist on a table? Picked up a bit in the second half; but still, ultimately sunk by its own melodrama. The only really good part was McLaglen drunk and happy at the brothel (or whatever that place was).

Ford's direction and August's photography are the real stars here. The style borrows significantly from German expressionism, with the play between light and shadow. McLaglen stumbles through the film in the foggy streets of Dublin, highlighting the moral fog in which he finds himself. Nicely done all around.

Viewed April 3, 2021. So much of what's appealing about Ford is the way his expressive visual choices work in tandem with his storytelling, rather than completely overwhelming it the way it does here. At the same time, it's interesting to see how Ford uses this heightened visual style to tackle his themes of loyalty and personal morality, obtaining a distinct emotional intensity through this more elaborate visual design and through Victor McLaglen's melodramatic performance.

83.50

Atmosfera e fotografia deslumbrantes, mas que protagonista burro do caralho. Rá! Coleção Folha/Versátil grandes Diretores do Cinema

Semi-forgotten Ford was acclaimed in its day, but it now serves as an a anomaly in his ouevre, an expressionist stylistic detour that is closer to the films of Lang than his own. The artificial stage bound setting creates an air of claustrophobia and dread, a self contained world that traps the protagonist inside his guilt ridden mind. The Irish stereotypes are grating, and McLaglen's performance is hit and miss, but it's a satisfying crowd pleaser with some genuinely ambiguous moments.

2. A tragic and beautiful story of poverty, loyalty, shame, regret and honour which left the viewer sniffling at the end. Victor McLaglen is superb as the naive simpleton with an alcoholic problem, but in possession of an inherently good nature. The sets are well put together and the cast is spot on, remaining with the viewer for a long time afterwards. All in all this story of redemption is a prime moment of early American cinema.

The Informer feels like the type of story that grandfathered the likes of Eddie Coyle and other tales of the pitiful tragic anti-hero. Carried by McLaglen's performance and Ford's direction, it's one of the best films acclaimed in its time but almost completely forgotten today.

Star Rating: ★★★★1/2

A simple story told well with compelling direction from John Ford. McLaglen gives a really strong performance for the time, although some of the actors around him are irritating with the way they play up the melodrama.

John Ford tackling a low budget by taking inspiration from silent film masters like Fritz Lang and F.W. Murnau. And the films wins 4 Academy Awards for it! The Informer is stylistically pure using fog, light and angles to create the atmosphere in a brilliant way. The acting was what held this back the most. The drunken McLaglen was a little uneven, but he at least captured the moments when he had to. Not sure he deserved his Oscar, but here he was the man of the hour.

Excellent.

#800

Weird acting, some kind of an exaggerated stage style. Lots of kitsch moments, looking by today's standards, but I was entertained during the whole movie, anyway.

Very beautiful and at points the feeling is piercing, but somehow the ambiance of irish streets seem to come out of a fairy tale, as Ford paints with very broad strokes.

An obvious film (what else do you expect from a Dudley Nichols screenplay?) but still a good one, with a terrific performance from McLaglen and excellent character support by Donald Meek, Una O'Connor and J.M. Kerrigan. Preston Foster is wooden, and Ford lays on the Irish atmosphere much too thick, but this is definitely worth a look. Nice moody photography.

765

A brilliant, deeply moving film directed superbly.

696

# 616

Soused Judas stumbles through a moral fog.

McLaglen chews the scenery mercilessly but this is a good film anyway