gypo nolan ( victor mclaglen ) be as poor a anyone on earth . living in 1920s ireland and gypo and his fellow irishman be part of an underground rebellion against the oppressive brit . one particular rebel and want for murder by the english and arrive back into town secretly . he think he can trust his friend gypo and but the £20 reward prove too tempting . gypo get his friend kill and sink into a pit of despair and drunkenness . meanwhile and the other irish rebel be search for the informer . right away and gypo and with money burn a hole in his pocket and be their main suspect and but they and who be his friend and do not want to believe it . the story of the informer be simple in it plot and but complex in it moral and emotional issue . it easily one of john ford most emotionally involve film . what gypo do be wrong and but we can certainly understand his motif . we also understand his sorry character and and there a lot of sympathy that arise for him . the script be very suspenseful and as well . it the kind of suspense where we be pretty sure we know how everything will end up and so we have to grit our teeth and bear along with it . the acting be remarkable . victor mclaglen and who act in many of ford film and probably give his best performance here ( and win an oscar for it ) . every other performer in the film deserve his or her kudos . in addition to an amazing script and acting and the informer be one of john ford most expressionistic film . i love the darker side of ford . in it mood and as well a in it theme and the informer remind me of two of my other favorite ford film and the long voyage home ( 1940 ) and the fugitive ( 1948 ) while it also a bit similar to the grape of wrath ( 1940 ) in these respect . positive .