Film Review
John Ford's first major critical success was this engaging adaptation
of a novel by Liam O'Flaherty. The novel had previously been
adapted in 1929 by Arthur Robinson with Lars Hanson as Gypo, and would
later provide the basis for Jules Dassin's 1968 film
Up Tight. The film not only
won Ford some rave reviews but also garnered four Academy
Awards, in the categories of Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best
Score, and Best Actor (Victor McLaglen). This was Ford's first
feature with RKO, made on a shoestring budget of a quarter of a million
dollars and shot in just 17 days.
Today, the film isn't regarded quite so highly as it was when it was
first released. Even by the standards of the 1930s, the film
appears very dated, marred by artistic artifice and self-conscious
moralising, although it does have some strengths. McLaglen's
central performance, whilst mannered and theatrical, carries the film
and effectively conveys the torment of a man who is torn between guilt
and an animal instinct to survive.
The film's moody expressionistic set design and cinematography also
work well to emphasise McLaglen's turbulent inner struggle and the
stark inevitability of his tragic ending. Whilst its heavy
moralistic tone can appear somewhat laboured and patronising,
The Informer is still a potent
drama on the themes of betrayal, guilt and forgiveness, with some
moments of genuine poignancy, particularly towards the end.
It may not be Ford's best film, but it is a good example of his early
work and contains a suggestion of his later great achievements such as
The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
and
How Green Was My Valley (1941).
© James Travers 2008
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Next John Ford film:
The Whole Town's Talking (1935)
Film Synopsis
Dublin, 1922. During the Irish Civil War, a poor unemployed man,
Gypo Nolan, dreams of starting a new life in America. If only he
had £20, he could take his girlfriend, Katie, with him on a
steamboat crossing to the land of opportunity. Then Gypo sees a
poster offering a reward of exactly that amount for the capture of an
IRA member, Frankie McPhillip. Although Frankie is his friend,
Gypo has no qualms over betraying him, but as soon as he has collected
his reward his conscience begins to trouble him...
© James Travers
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.