maybe it because i look up the history of the irish trouble in the 1920s and then the sad civil war that engulf the free state after the signing of the treaty before watch this movie . anyway and the sudden turn at the end bring tear to my eye . victor mclaglen isn not a famous today a he be back then and and he should be good remember . in this film and i think he play himself a he would have be without his innate talent and brain . for example and the scene where his buddy in the crowd be challenge men to fight with him be probably quite reminiscent of what mclaglen actually do in early year and when he be a world class bare knuckle boxer . john ford be partly responsible for that while the imdb trivia section show how he trick mclaglen into get a really bad hangover for the trial scene . this director also could bring out a lot in his actor and even without such trick . mostly and though and mclaglen be firmly in control and especially when his character be almost totally blotto ( which be difficult for an actor to do believably ) and and he also play gypo nolan with a depth and emotional power that be surprise for someone who have only see mclaglen later in his career and in the quiet man . i especially like the contrast between this role a an ira man and the much more obviously controlled performance he give a the ira man denis hogan in hangman house . in the quiet man and of course and mclaglen be a country squire at odds with the local ira . victor mclaglen be big and bully and in the old fashioned sense of the word and but he be a good actor and too and and capable of wide range and fine nuance of performance that we just wouldn not expect of a such a man today . it a rather sad comment on our own set of expectation and prejudice . ford and a usual and pack a lot into a little bit of film . all the character be excellent ( though the commandant mostly american accent be distract ) note represent there be spoiler ahead . know that gypo once draw the short straw and be order to kill a man but let him talk his way out of it instead and we really empathize with the man who draw the short straw for execute gypo and and the humanity he show and most notably when they go to take gypo in mary room . john ford really show his genius here and take what could have be a gruesome and yet expect outcome to the whole story and instead use it to set up a totally unexpected and yet very satisfy end that make u think not just of gypo and the other character and but of poor ireland during that tortured time .