Birds, The (1963)

“It’s the end of the world…”

Synopsis:
A socialite (Tippi Hedren) pursues a lawyer (Rod Taylor) to his hometown of Bodega Bay, where birds are suddenly beginning to act hostile towards humans.

Genres:

Response to Peary’s Review:
Peary notes that while this loose adaptation of Daphne Du Maurier’s short story “disappointed most everyone when it was released”, it’s now “justifiably regarded as one of Hitchcock’s true gems, an exciting, complex picture that is technically dazzling [and] extremely well written” — not to mention “ideal for viewers who enjoy digging for themes”. Indeed, given that none of the characters in the film “has an explanation for what is happening”, it’s possible to project numerous theories and metaphors onto the story: perhaps, as Peary writes, the film is attempting to portray a version of “Judgment Day”, or “perhaps the birds have just decided to reclaim their world from the intruding human species, who had proved to be cruel landlords”.

Peary himself asserts his belief “that the film is much like a Christian parable”, in which “the bird attacks serve to force humans to regain their humanness, to bring them closer together, to love one another” — given that each of the leading characters is shown to struggle with issues of trust and abandonment. He fittingly notes that, “when challenged by an alien force”, they “forget the barriers they had set up between themselves and come through for one another”, forming a “human flock” by the film’s disturbing, apocalyptic end.

Thematic concerns aside, The Birds remains one of Hitchcock’s most interesting experiments in horror; its pacing and overall timbre are unlike anything he attempted before or after. As Peary notes, the “film’s highlights are not necessarily the bird attacks” (though they’re terribly disturbing) “but how Hitchcock builds suspense prior to them”; and, unlike in his iconic thriller Psycho (1960), just for instance, no music at all is used to heighten emotions — just expertly sound engineered bird noises. Featuring a debut performance by Tippi Hedren that will “grow on you”, The Birds remains a worthy, unique entry in Hitchcock’s vast oeuvre, and is certainly must-see viewing for film fanatics.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

Many genuinely frightening scenes of terrorizing birds
Bernard Herrmann et al.’s eerily effective soundtrack (combining natural bird sounds with electronic sound effects)