Grade: C-
Synopsis: A slow-witted Irishman (Victor McLaglen) sees his world crumble around him after he informs on a fellow countryman.
The Informer is an uneven, moody melodrama from director John Ford.
The film starts off pretty shaky. Victor McLaglen, a regular of Ford’s, is good in the lead, but the female supporting cast’s tendency to overact can be grating. Fortunately, the film settles down and finds its stride as mediation on guilt and loyalty.
And once it clicks, The Informer proves to be very potent, as McLaglen’s character’s slow, painful descent into a hell of his own making is relentlessly compelling.
This is a dark film, to be sure. The atmospheric cinematography suits the subject matter well, and though Ford can get a little heavy handed at times, McLaglen’s performance pulls things through, combining a fragile naiveté with a brutish streak that’s both believable and sympathetic. He’s a man who knows he’s lost his soul, but doesn’t want to acknowledge it.
Bottom Line: If you can get through some of the rougher patches, The Informer is a decent melodrama and definitely worth a look for fans of director John Ford.
