The Birds

I have seen clips of this movie for years but I have never seen "The Birds" in its entirety. It turns out that all the clips I have seen were the best parts of the movie so that was somewhat of a let down. However, the horror when played against the comedy results in an interesting film. I am betting that many others who haven't had the film spoiled for them will be treated to a suspenseful experience from the Master himself. I was very impressed with the cinematic aspects that typically standout in an Alfred Hitchcock film: the cinematography and editing. I was surprised to realize halfway through that this film has no musical score but rather uses its unique sound effects to affect its audience. Watching this film on the big screen allowed me to witness a variety of responses from a film audience from laughter to gasping.

The opening credits are what you might expect from this particular director. The opening portion of the movie however seems to stray from expectations. I found these scenes to be quite funny. The suspense we experience stems from what we know is coming thanks to the opening credits, the film's title and Hitchcock's name in said credits. This was intentional so that the audience would sit in suspense, nervously laughing at the lengths Melanie will go to prank this attractive lawyer she came across. We don't know when the first attack will come. She is about to get caught by Mitch and the anticipation of this makes the first bird attack all the more poignant. If you would to show this movie to someone who hadn't seen or heard of "The Birds" and withheld the opening credits from them, it would almost feel like Hitchcock suddenly invading a romantic comedy. The cinematography in any Hitchcock film is worth noting as a tool of creating suspense. My favorite sequence of shots in the film is of Brenner's ceiling and the characters walk into frame from below. This sequence however should not overshadow the famous gathering of the crows at the school. I love how the one shot follows a single crow as it flies towards the jungle gym to reveal the massive amount of crows now gathered there. The use of real birds with fake birds is well done because of how they are distributed in the shot. As in "Psycho", the moving camera can really make your skin crawl such as the shot in "The Birds" that moves up the Brenner's staircase. It almost feels like a point of view shot. The use of a close up can likewise produce tension such as in The Tides' restaurant when a mother accuses Melanie of being the cause of the birds' behavior. Speaking of that scene, it truly is the only moment in the movie where the characters discuss this abnormality in great length. While they don't come to any conclusion, we at least come to understand how bad the situation could become. The ending of the film alludes that the event could indeed spread beyond Bodega Bay. This lack of resolution isn't new from Hitchcock because "Vertigo" and "Psycho" also had endings that normally would have hinted sequels. Along with the cinematography, the editing of "The Birds" cannot be understated. Even though the expressions on Melanie's face look a little phony, the intercutting of her with the flame traveling along the gasoline towards the car is memorable. The same can be said for the reveal of dead farmer. Anytime the birds attack is a wonderful example of editing but the scene in the bedroom of the Brenner's house with the birds seemingly flying straight into the camera takes the cake. Apparently, part of that scene was shot without Tippi Hedren knowing that birds would be attacking her. Her initial shock and subsequent fear is genuine. As a side note, I got scared with the birds pecking the door of the house from the other end.

I should have looked into who was acting in this film before seeing it. I have seen Rod Taylor before in "The Time Machine" but I know him best as the voice of Pongo in Disney's "One Hundred and One Dalmatians". That was a big surprise for me when I found out. This film contains my favorite Hitchcock cameo to date because he used his own dogs. The special effects shots were accomplished thanks to Ub Iwerks and the Walt Disney Studios. Iwerks by the way wet Walt in Kansas City and was very influential in the creation of Mickey Mouse. Coincidentally, Iwerks also did special effects for "Dalmatians". He was nominated for an Oscar for his work on "The Birds" and even though he won two Special Achievement Academy Awards in his career, this was the only time he was nominated in a competitive category. The American Film Institute has rated "The Birds" as #7 on its list of the most thrilling movies. There are a total of nine Hitchcock films on that list which is more than any other director and that is not a surprise. The lack of resolution did negatively affect my enjoyment of "The Birds" as did the fact that I had already seen all the good parts of this movie but I know that it is still a well-made horror film. Hitchcock films are prime examples of amazing cinematography and editing. He used them very well to entertain and frighten his audiences and his movies are still suspenseful today. Another reason why "The Birds" is a good horror film is because of the humorous scenes to open the show. They contrast well with the latter half of the film.

3.5 Stars