Review of the film “The Birds”: Hitchcock’s film “Feathers” has become legendary

Birdsis, for many reasons, perhaps Alfred Hitchcock’s most infamous film. Most people’s first thought, other than “Can you believe how far we’ve come with special effects?” linked to Hitchcock’s terrible treatment of the lead actress Tippi Hedren during filming. It’s no secret that the director became obsessed with the rising star, even raped her and later sabotaged her career. In a 2016 interview with Vogue, Hedren opened up about a traumatic relationship, saying that Hitchcock’s last words were, “I’m going to ruin your career.” He also lied and said that they would be using mechanical birds for the intense bird attack scene in the bedroom, although at the last minute Hedren was told otherwise.

As detailed in Tippi: A Memoirconditions for the scene, which was filmed for five days, were getting worse:

“I was bombarded with more live, screaming, crazed birds while the birds that were attached to me started pecking at me as they were trained to do. I was too focused on my own survival to notice, but I was later told that for the film crew it was even more horrifying and heartbreaking than the previous four days, and no one but Hitchcock could do anything to put an end to it. .

It’s important to acknowledge all of this before diving into this iconic horror film and shattering all of its layers. First, is it really a horror movie? On paper, yes. The essence of the story is that we are talking about a small seaside town in North Carolina, which is overrun by vicious, deadly birds. Terrible thing indeed! But surprisingly, the title horrors don’t fully come into play and wreak bloody havoc until about halfway through the movie. It feels like he’s trying to tell two separate stories, one of which is slightly abandoned as soon as the birds fly into it.

Birds may be known for an onslaught of winged creatures, but at its core, it’s about the people and complex relationships that confuse our lives - how we say things we don’t mean and intersect with people who affect us in the way we are. could t predicted. Tippi Hedren masterfully embodies it from start to finish in her impressive feature film debut as Melanie Daniels, a wealthy socialite who crosses paths with Mitch Brenner (Rod Taylor), a lawyer she meets at a bird shop in San Francisco.

Like Janet LeighMarion Crane in PsychoMelanie is a strong character, holding her life and self-respect firmly, which makes her trajectory even more devastating. Hedren plays the role of “collector” perfectly. She is graceful and elegant, but she clearly has an advantage. She acts like a person with strong convictions. The film is actually most interesting when the birds are not on screen, and when Melanie deftly carries on a vague conversation, choosing her words very carefully so as not to reveal too much about herself.

As mentioned, it’s like Birds has two narratives competing for attention. The opening scene, essentially a “nice meeting” between Mitch and Melanie, sets the stage for what appears to be a romance of sorts. Taylor and Hedren engage in a conversational dance at the pet store as their equally enigmatic and private characters balance being both intrigued and skeptical of the other. Every line is thought out to the smallest detail and reveals so much about the characters thanks to the finely tuned script. Evan Hunter from a story by Daphne du Maurier.

Opening Birds so organic and charming that it seems like it is ready to become a romantic thriller or a sweet comedy. Hedren is eerily good at talking a lot but not talking a lot, and Taylor is a fun sparring partner from the start. Mitch is a bit of an enigma in that he comes off as an adorable match for Melanie and keeps her on her toes, but we also learn that he has a torrid past. When Melanie decides to go after Mitch and track him down to his usual weekend getaway, she meets Annie Hayworth (Suzanne Pleshette), the teacher of Mitch’s sister, whom Melanie learns was once romantically involved with Mitch. Any mention of Mitch and his territorial and obnoxious mother Lydia (Jessica Tandy) causes restlessness and tired eye-rolling. That, and the repeated references to the women in Mitch’s mysterious life in San Francisco, and his questioning Melanie about her rebellious past, seemed to position us for bigger payouts. But once birds become a formidable enemy, we don’t revisit these discussions about their problematic upbringing.

About halfway through the movie, the more straightforward horror begins. The practical effects, while immediately dating the project, make it much scarier. There was no CGI or motion capture birds to take viewers out of the very real world that modern films rely too heavily on. (Just because we have technological capabilities doesn’t mean we should use them!) Hitchcock isn’t afraid to spend time on the mundane aspects of life, because that’s where some of the best suspense can occur. Let Hitchcock make rowing a boat, starting an engine and driving down long winding roads both thrilling and terrifying at the same time. He is also not afraid to panic, the fleeing schoolchildren are attacked by endless birds.

Dinner conversation with various members of the community with different views on “birds” really opens the door to interpretation. There are many ways to interpret the real “horrors” in this film. Love? Death? Violence? Mother Nature? Political instability? Loss of control? Maybe it’s literally a movie about… birds? Ah, theories! Next Psycho in your filmography is a very difficult task. Despite some missed payouts for the rich storylines introduced earlier, Birds more than deserving of its legendary status, with its beautiful direction, poignant performance and inventive and metaphorical premise.

Rating: A-