The Birds Review (1.3 Preparation)

The Birds (1963) - Alfred Hitchcock

Another one of Hitchcock's classic thriller films, this fim offers more of a horror twist as nature turns its back on humanity and attacks.

The film begins slowly as a young woman, Melanie Daniels (Tippi Hedren), meets a man, Mitch Brenner, (Rod Taylor), in a bird shop. He appears as mysterious to her, and it is this and her attraction to him that draw her to eventually be staying at his mothers house with him at Bodega Bay.

Whilst she is there, there are a number of attacks on innocent people by a variety of different birds, which as they go, increase in severity. As the attacks become harder, there is more suspense between scenes and more of a darker sense to the film, so it becomes more gripping, exciting and scary in the second half.

Infact, until past half way through, the birds seem to be more of a distraction to what appears as the main story. The characters all have their own stories to tell, their own pasts and even side characters met through the film are very distinct. Even though this spaces out the horror in the first half, the detail behind the characters is partly what this makes this film so good. But it is the scenes that you know are coming, as more birds gather, and the build up to these scenes which makes this film what it is.

Another distinct thing about this film that makes it itself is that, while Psycho, Hitchcock's other classic film from the 1960's, was told and well known by it's story-telling and intense soundtrack, The Birds has absoloutely no soundtrack whatsoever. Throughout the film the peace and quiet of Bodega Bay is crushed by the dark background noises of the birds which substitute the music, constrasting the quiet with the films dark trademark. This is very effective, as are the spooky camera shots and the sometimes quite disturbing horror scenes.

Critisicm for this film are that the characters, despite how interesting they are, seem to do stupid and illogical things that put their lives in danger throughout, for the purpose of adding scenes of horror, and there is a disappointing end.

This is a deep, interesting and moderately scary classic by Alfred Hitchcock. Though it may not quite top other classic mass destruction films, it is quite thouroughly enjoyable.

8/10