Absurd film that doesn't stand up to scrutiny

Rating: 4/10 (12 November 2007)

The Birds is one of the films that is considered to be a classic, its technique and direction in creating tension, menace and horror are often studied and mimicked. It tells a story of a town that was attacked and besieged by birds that turned, for uncertain reason, deranged and vicious. It exploited the idea of something that ordinarily appears harmless but which suddenly became violent and deadly.
There is no doubt that the director had used his considerable talent to create an eerie atmosphere, and applied various technique to create the suspense and terror that makes the viewers fearful and tense. However, there is nothing much beyond that. When examined critically, looking at the why and how, the film falls apart. Why do the birds attacked? Can they really be so powerful, even threatening to peck through doors? How come the people are doing so little to counter the menace? Are the people there really so clueless as to how to kill birds, even if there are lots of them?
A moment that illustrates the absurdity of this film is when the Melanie went to the loft and suddenly found herself faced with hundreds of birds that attacked her. Anyone with any sense would not even go into the room when they see a big hole in the roof, or would just turn and run out of the room, but no, she went in and then just stood here, waving her hands around and fumbling for the door knobs behind her (doesn't she know how to turn around? It's easier to see the door knob and stop the birds from attacking your face that way you know!). The way it was done was purely for creating the horror, damn any sense of logic of how any normal person would have behaved in such situation.
It is a lazy piece plot wise, showing a director more interested in creating tension and suspense, jettisoning completely any sense of coherence and logic, or indeed any interest in the outcome of the film. It perhaps has too much of an influence on other films, as we have now seen so many films of the horror genre that are purely interested in the creating fear, terror and suspense, with people behaving not like any real person would and getting into stupid and terrifying situations. The technique for creating fear is everything, and in the process, the people in the story are completely lost, no longer individuals who thinks and acts, just puppets that don't think but merely react, and in an absurd fashion.