Rated PG-13 for Violence and Adult Themes
119 Minutes
Written By: Evan Hunter
Directed By: Alfred Hitchcock
Staring: Tippi Hendrin, Rod Taylor, Jessica Tandy, Susanne Pleshette, and Veronica Cartright
” I thought you knew! I want to go through life jumping into fountains naked, good night!” -Melanie Daniels
Review
The Birds may not be Alfred Hitchcock’s greatest film, but it still easily makes it in the top five. One common parallel I’ve noticed throughout the years is Hitchcock’s attraction to magnificent blond bombshells and then putting them through hell. Grace Kelly, Tippi Hendrin, Janet Leigh, Doris Day, Julie Andrews, Kim Novak, and Ingrid Bergman. For time unchecked, Alfred Hitchcock put us through the ringer watching some of the most beautiful and vivacious women in Hollywood stumble their way through films that exude feelings of terror, shock, but mostly fear. The greatest gift Hitchcock left us with was zeroing in on the fears of mankind and exploiting them through bone chilling entertainment.
Melanie Daniels is a spoiled and bored socialite, used to getting her way. In a pet shop, she by chance meets the handsome Mitch Brenner who facetiously pretends to believe she is an employee and engages in a flirting match. Mitch doesn’t buy the lovebirds he was seeking to purchase for his younger sisters birthday and heads home. Melanie, who is used to playing games buys the birds and takes them to Bodega Bay, a small coastal town. Once Melanie arrives she is attacked by a passing seagull. Soon it becomes obvious it wasn’t a random incident and something has gone very wrong with the birds in Bodega Bay.
What’s most compelling about The Birds is there is never any real rhyme or reason for the strange and irrational events that begin to take place. Did really have something to do with Melanie and her lovebirds or was it just some strange phenomenon? It’s never elaborated on except for some crazy reaction from a scared woman in a diner. The topic is acknowledged but left an enigma. The fact that there is never any real allusion to the reason behind the mysterious bird attacks or explanation in the end makes the story itself that much more eerie. Often, our worst fears are irrational, so why not make a movie about fears that make no sense and have essentially no chance of ever happening, except in the darkest parts our minds?
Along with the overpowering feel of helplessness and an eerie sense of fear the actual birds themselves evoke a feeling fear. The scene where they are sitting on the monkey bars and Melanie and Annie are trying to usher them safely away, you can hear a pin drop, even though the birds aren’t doing anything other than sitting quite still on the bars. My palms still get clammy and my stomach still turns to knots each time I watch that scene. Pure Hitchcock genius.
The beautiful Tippi Hendrin and her stunning glances and overwhelming sense of charisma made this movie feel like it was alive. She gave the rest of the cast something to feed off of and really enhanced everyone else’s performances as well. When the first seagull swoops down and slashes her forehead, her facial expression is priceless. The best acting scene in the movie is the moment she and Jessica Tandy share together when discussing Mitch. The two very strong and smart women really connect and make it an incredibly memorable scene. The handsome Rod Taylor easily passes as the object of both Melanie and Annie’s affection, and his infectious little sister played by Veronica Cartright is more than easy to fall in love with.
It’s a bit frightening to know that a re-make of this film is in the works, even with the brilliance of Naomi Watts playing Melanie, it still seems daunting to take on a film made in such elegance and detail and make it again. Some pieces of art are better left alone. The Birds is rated PG-13 but in comparison to today’s PG-13 most kids would be way too desensitized to be afraid of this film. I wouldn’t bring my four year old to it, but maybe when he turns about ten he’ll mature enough to appreciate the kind of scary this movie exudes. The Birds is true brilliance and for anyone who loves a good Hitchcock flick. Four out of Four stars.
Great review heather. I loved this movie as a kid the first time I thought it was a little scary lol, but as I grew up I remember just sitting and watching this movie over and over with my dad one of his all time favorites. Makes me want to watch it again its been FOREVER!!
this movie STILL scares me….why can’t they make em like this anymore?!?!?
i had to watch this movie in my film studies course in college. Although at the time, I can see how innovative and fresh it was, the special effect [obviously] are terrible and have no horror effect on todays audience. Also Hitchcock was an a-hole and used to abuse his leading ladies. I can understand the follow and sheer genuis of his filmmaking but I have to be put in the latter category on this film. And you know its rare I disagree with you Heather. But you did a great job with your review as always.
I remember the Tippi biography on A&E and I’ve never really delved into Hitchcock as much, though this is good and I love Rebecca.
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Cello,
Yeah, I’ve heard the stories of what an insolent bastard of a dude he was. Even so, I’m a huge fan of his work. Some of it doesn’t play as poignantly or resonate as strongly today, but there is no mistaking the feel of a Hitchcock film. He was a genius in his own disturbed way.
I actually read somewhere that the Birds were actually attacking Tippi Hendrin and she almost quit the film because of all the cuts and wounds. I had thought the idea of evil birds as being kind of innovative, but perhaps it wasn’t such a stretch.
While this movie is brilliant at building suspense, it totally cops out on capitalizing on it. This is one of the most overrated classics out there. The total irrational-ness comes across as poor writing, or lazy writing, and the directing was all about bailing this failure out. Throughout the whole movie, the question just keeps building: “How is it even going to be possible to fight against a seemingly unlimited army of birds? How is it even possible to defeat them?” This was the point of contention that kept this interesting. Of course, we all know that the ending was just as big a cop-out as the conumdrum. The birds get bored. That’s it. The intense questions that the audience keeps asking are not only not answered, but not even confronted. I have all the respect in the world for Hitchcock, but this movie was bullshit.
Lizard King ….were ya paying attention when you watched the movie…the birds came in waves….they weren’t attacking 24-7. The ending was great. It left you with your own conclusions. So you have such an imagination that you think the next day everyone woke up and the birds were bored so they stopped attacking? Ok but don’t blame Hitchcock for your lack of imagination.
one more thing…it kills me when people critisize special effects from 1963…I figure you weren’t born yet so I’ll educate you ….they didn’t have cgi back then…for that years standards the SE were pretty damn good
of course i wasn’t born yet, why would i be a 55 year old blogger, when im that old ill be more concerned with my prostate than blogging.
Well here’s a java cheers to your prostate Cello and hopes that George’s remains happy as well.
Sorry I didn’t know there was an age requirment for blogging. I also don’t think you should personally attack someone for having an opinion. If you want to discuss any movie stuff and stay on the subject I’ll be happy to do that with you cello. One more thing…I am not even close to 55 and my prostate is just fine thank you. I have it checked as often as possible.
I’m not a huge fan of this film either though I found the pacing to be the highlight of it. Hitchcock was the master of suspense whether the story worked or not. My favorite Hitchcock’s are Vertigo, Rear Window, and To Catch A Thief. But then again I’m also one of the few that isn’t a fan of Psycho. I think it’s highly overrated.
In response to the other posters………..Is it really necessary to bring prostate into the convo?
This is by no means the best Hitchcock film although it may be the most memorable because of the bird sequence where they are on the playground equipment. I remember that as being so eerie. I personally am a huge fan of North by Northwest and The Man Who Knew Too Much.
I heart Rear Window. It’s one of my favs, though this one does have a personal place in my memory.