The Birds - A Movie Review

Birds are not aggressive to the world, they are beautiful creatures - so you believe.

The Birds flew into theaters in 1963. Upon following a man to Bodega Bay, California, strange situations arise. Attacking people for no reason. Melanie Daniels and Mitch Brenner fight to protect each other during these terrifying attacks.

Upon the conclusion of The Birds, when moviegoers left the theaters, amplifiers of bird noises were hidden in the trees to scare them further. The Birds is a thriller masterpiece. This is the first Alfred Hitchcock film I ever watched when I was thirteen. The Birds is a suspenseful film about birds attacking people for unknown reasons.

This was Tippi Hedren’s first film that eventually led to her stardom. Melanie Daniels does not like to be messed with. Refusing to lose battles, she is a fighter with a sharp tongue. She makes people see that there is more to her, instead of letting people think that she is helpless. I like that about her.

While Hedren is fantastic portraying genuine fright, we don’t know much about Melanie. Upon my most recent watch, I grasped the subtle details about her. One theory on why we know little about her is because even Melanie does not understand herself. Throughout this horrendous experience, Melanie opens up, allowing people to take care of her, something she was never fond of.

Before watching The Birds again, I was never fond of Mitch (Rod Taylor). He does not respect Melanie, lightly mocking her. As he learns, there is more to Melanie. His heroic moments in the climax where he feverishly runs around, boarding up the house, and making sure that everyone is calm proves that he changed his immature demeanor.

Lydia (Jessica Tandy) is not afraid to express her disgust in constant close-ups of her face. As Mitch’s mother, she is not fond of the women he dates. During Melanie’s stay, they learn that they have more in common than they thought regarding their fear of loneliness.

I have always questioned the extreme sibling age-gap be between Mitch and his younger sister, Kathy (Veronica Cartwright) While there are age-gap siblings, a theory among fans speculates who Kathy is. Pay close attention when Annie (Susanne Pleshette) talks about her past relationship with Mitch.

An ensemble of talented actors added to the terror of The Birds. The diner is the best ensemble sequence. For a small part, Ethel Grimes is memorable as Mrs. Bundy. Fear of gulls and crows attacking increases the more they cause destruction to a once quiet town.

The special effects are well-incorporated. Filming The Birds was not easy. Some actors got cuts from their sharp talons. Training birds was not an easy task. Because of the difficulty of shooting a climactic scene, Hedren was so exhausted that she stayed in the hospital for a week to recuperate.

For a long time, I never liked how there was no soundtrack to the film. The Birds works better without music. It adds to the horror. Just the sounds of cawing, shrieks, or random cries are enough to make your skin crawl. The scene where a school of children runs for their lives is a startling sequence.

Alfred Hitchcock is the master of suspense. Everything from the way he edited the film encased audiences in the terror. Location choices were stunning. Do we have to know why they are doing this? It’s a better idea that the motivation of crows attacking is kept ambiguous.

If you have not yet seen The Birds, I recommend this classic. Your opinion regarding birds may change after watching this film.