in the mid 1930s hollywood be regain it confidence after the difficulty of the talkie transition . although all the technical problem of sound have be solve very quickly and it take longer to resolve the question of how talk picture should look and how they should be structure and how they should be act . the informer be a key picture in that it show the extent to which wordless moment can convey story and assert the power image without ignore the necessity of sound and dialogue . this be not to say the informer be truly a throwback to the golden day of the silents . for one thing and many silent picture be not so purely visual in their narrative and and be overburden with title card . but what the informer have be the self assuredness to extend moment between dialogue and to focus on reaction more than speech and and to let shot play out simply for atmosphere . director john ford and for all his capability and be a filmmaker who appear to have put in effort in proportion to how interested he be in the material . if he think a story be silly and he just do it half arsed . luckily the informer and with it depiction of community and honour and work class life and most importantly irish setting and be everything ford love and and the result be one of his fine work . in it and ford only really employ too kind of shot . the first be of place the dublin street shroud in mist and darkness so their furthest depth can not be see while dingy interior where the wall and ceiling seem to press in on u . the second be of face and strike close ups against plain background and usually without dialogue and focus u upon the inner conflict of these people . lead man victor mclaglen fit perfectly within this character and this manner of film him . mclaglen performance do not look like much and be a it be about 90 % drunk act . but the other 10 % be heartfelt emote and a here and there his gypo nolan have what alcoholic refer to a a moment of clarity . with such performance be oscars won . mclaglen be back by a spot on support cast and among whom there be no weak link . in particular it be nice to have donald meek and una oconnor and usually only see in comic relief role and play straight dramatic part for once ( although meek appearance do contain one or two joke and the tone of the scene and much of his manner be serious ) . not only do these two deliver incredibly deep performance and their familiarity to most viewer a comedy player give an added note of poignancy to their part in this tragedy . rko and who produce the informer and be perhaps the most adventurous and willing to take risk of all the major studio . thanks to this and we be able to see a dismal story with a despicable anti hero at it centre and which could easily have be a clunky and over earnest mess and instead fill with a moody atmosphere and depth of character which keep u watch and draw u into it world .