The Last Masterpiece

Rating: 9/10 (8 August 2014)

Although not his final film, this was Hitchcock's final masterpiece, full of fascinating cinematic ideas, some realised better than others, but considering the difficulties he set himself in this movie, well before our time's all-pervasive CGI, most of the hundreds of trick shots work out amazingly well.
The brittle female lead was given to a strangely brittle first-timer, who acquits herself well - certainly a great deal better than she did in her (and Hitch's) next picture, MARNIE, in which the title character's complexities eluded her grasp. Melanie Daniels in THE BIRDS is much less of an acting challenge, although the role proved to be an endurance test, especially in the infamous, dazzlingly edited final bird attack.
The rest of cast do sterling work, with a substantial contribution from Jessica Tandy and a noteworthy one from Doreen Lang.
The element of the film that still feels wonderfully experimental is the soundscape of bird screeches, wing flaps and tweets. Way, way ahead of its time.