THE INFORMER
US, 1935, 91 minutes, Black-and-white.
Victor Mc Laglan, Heather Angel, Preston Foster, Margot Graham, Wallace Ford, Una O' Connor, Donald Meek.
Directed by John Ford.
The Informer has become something of a classic of the 1930s. Before this, John Ford had directed Western films and action films. For The informer, he won the Oscar for Best Director. In a sense, Ford never looked back, winning further Oscars for the long Voyage Home, How Green was My Valley and The Quiet Man. The film was also a high point for Victor Mc Laglan, winning an Oscar, and establishing himself as a character actor over many decades (including in John Ford films). Screenwriter Dudley Nichols won the Oscar for the screenplay as did composer Max Steiner for the score.
The film is set in the Irish Civil War (well explored on screen by Ken Loach in The Wind that Shakes the Barley). It is 1922. The setting is Dublin. Gypo Nolan has been ousted from the IRA, not following through on an execution that he was to perform, tempted by a bounty on an IRA man (Wallace Ford) and betraying him. Gypo is a man without control, splashes his money around, is friendly with the prostitute, Katy (Margot Graham) who wants £10 to emigrate to the United States. But Gypo is also a drinker and splashes the money around further, is brought before an IRA inquest, interned by them but escaping and then shot, finally going to a church where he encounters his mother, confesses to her and she forgives him.
The film is interesting as a drama of the 1930s – but very interesting in the light of subsequent 20th century history of conflict in Ireland, The Troubles.
1. The status of The Informer is a cinema classic of the 1930s? Oscar nominations and wins? Acting for Victor Mc Laglan, direction of John Ford, music by Max Steiner, screenplay by Dudley Nicholls?
2. The setting, civil war, the 1920s, the film made soon after these events? The film in the light of later decades of civil unrest in Ireland, The Troubles?
3. Dublin, the city, the streets, the scenes at night? The IRA headquarters? The church? The musical score?
4. The title, Gypo Nolan, Victor Mc Laglan’s screen presence, look, performance? His character, his age, the IRA, his being ousted, his being commission to kill, his not following through? The friendship with Katie, rescuing her from the attack? The issue of £10 for passage to America?
5. Frankie, the IRA, the bounty on his head? Gypo, the idea of the reward, to pay for himself and Katie to go to the US? Frankie and his death? But give her going to the authorities, the reluctant giving him the £20?
6. Gypo, his relationship with his mother, with his sister?
7. His telling Katie what he had done, going to the wake, the coins falling from his pocket? His drinking, his blaming Mulligan? His giving the money to the Blind man? Splashing his cash? His talking to everyone?
8. The authorities, not blaming Gypo at first, the inquest, his having the money, splashing it around,
9. Including accusing Mulligan? An eventual confession?
10. His being imprisoned by the IRA, his escape? Going to Katie, her going to Gallagher, his presiding over the inquest, his reactions?
11. The men, the hearing, the shooting – and Gypo going to the church, the encounter with his mother, confessing to her, her forgiving him?
