Unfortunately I haven't had much time and mood to expand as much on films with the same frequency I used to have, but is impossible and it would be a major disservice to overlook and pass by some fascinating works that gain my attention in more than one regard. I believe John Ford couldn't be more relevant nowadays, by this I mean his topics are timeless and only get more relevant as time goes on; so is his direction, is worth of endless praise and analysis.
This is perhaps with one or two exceptions the most fascinating and intricate direction of him. This feels like a small scope forerunner of noir, mainly thanks to Ford's towering display of chiaroscuro which he puts into great use to craft a film utterly reliant on his visual techniques. There's a lot of Lang and Murnau that Ford take notes over as well. Is highly reminiscent of "M" and of "Sunrise", it caught my attention this scene near the end where Gypo lies on the floor surrounded by his lover in the same flair of Sunrise, is a quote to denote this thematic pattern: a man motivated by a woman to do something that is reprehensible, is the picture of an impossible affair, is a visual lyricism few like Ford could accomplish in such a poignant way.
Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (1927), F.W. Murnau
The Informer (1935), John Ford
Whereas the score could be seen as quite intrusive, on my eyes is only accompanied with the acting and makes the film even more alluring to contemplate. Ford like many other filmmakers that came from the silent era took their original methods during subsequent epochs, especially during the beginning of talkies their style can be seen as a carbon copy of a silent movie only that added sound to it (acting and soundtrack especially). This is particularly noticeable in The Informer, many consider it a flaw but for me is yet another fascinating point in favor for the film, its sensationalistic score accompanied with some highly expressionistic and even cartoonish performances it has a sensation evoking the silent era while it also blends characteristics of the newer and trendy generation of film at the time.
Then we have the own story which is taken from Liam O'Flaherty's novel which is essentially a type of Judas story. However as Ford will also manifest in more of his works later on, his main approach is about redemption; as there's a an extensive spectrum of stages to depict guilt and honor, anguish and joy, regret and impunity. Is a fierce and bitter film about loneliness, suspicion, treason; which becomes perfectly encapsulated by its descriptive, evocative black-and-white cinematography and thought-provoking drama of paranoia.