The Birds (1963) is a movie I enjoy very much. I like the set up, I enjoy the slow start, I really like Tippi Hedren as the lead and I honestly feel the threat of the birds throughout the film.
The movie's protagonist is Melanie Daniels, a modern rich woman, daughter of a newspaper owner, who is used to always get what she wants.
She ends up in a small town called Bodega Bay, an hour away from San Fransisco. There she meets some of the residents as well as Mitch's ex-girlfriend, Annie (Suzanne Pleshette) who is now a teacher in the local school, and also Mitch's mother (Jessica Tandy) and little sister (Veronica Cartwright).
As soon as Melanie arrives, the birds start acting strangely. They attack, they gather in flocks and they are generally aggressive.
Soon, there are thousands of birds that fly over the streets and they attack every single person they see. But why is this happening? Is it the sudden appearance of Melanie in the small town that has caused this behaviour? Is it something else? And, whatever the reason, what will the residents do to survive?
The film must have been terrifying when it came out. The shots of the birds are extremely well-done and the effects are immensely satisfying. The film features 370 effects shots.
What adds even more to the mystery of the film is the lack of a musical score.
The film is even left with an open ending without the usual "the end" appearing. Hitchcock wanted to leave the audience with the feeling of an unending terror.
In London, the audiences leaving the film's premiere were greated by the sound of screeching and flapping wings coming from speakers hidden in the trees outside the cinema.
In London, the audiences leaving the film's premiere were greated by the sound of screeching and flapping wings coming from speakers hidden in the trees outside the cinema.
Hitchcock wanted an open ending without an explanation because "if you provide an explanation for the phenomenon, then the picture becomes science-fiction; we're not making science-fiction. Birds is a thriller hence we leave out the explanation."
It is also said that there was an alternate ending (which I would really have liked) in which the heros see the Golden Gate Bridge covered with birds. However, it was too expensive to make.
It is also said that there was an alternate ending (which I would really have liked) in which the heros see the Golden Gate Bridge covered with birds. However, it was too expensive to make.
Director Cameo: In the beginning of the film, he walks two dogs outside the pet shop.
Memorable Quotes:
Birds are not aggressive creatures, miss. They bring beauty into the world. It is mankind, rather, who insists upon making it difficult for life to exist upon this planet.Mrs. Bundy
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