Visceral Terror and Freudian Psychodrama Meld Seamlessly in Hitchcock Masterwork

Rating: 9/10 (4 March 2006)

I remember as a child in the late 1960's watching this Alfred Hitchcock masterwork in the darkened family room and being terrified awaiting the next bird attack. It was great, and to my pleasure, it still is. Now that I am far more familiar with Hitchcock's filmography and realize the gamut of sophisticated drama and thrilling suspense he created in his long career, I think 1963's "The Birds" is far and away the wonderfully visceral experience he produced on screen. The film is one part allegory on man's impudence over nature and one part family psychodrama full of unresolved feelings, and the two parts work seamlessly together thanks to Evan Hunter's shrewd screenplay. Hitchcock recognizes that more than the technical effects he amassed to simulate the surreal, bludgeoning bird attacks, the actual storytelling is what drives the plot.
Although the birds provide an ominous presence from the outset, it starts with a flirtatious, love-hate romance between spoiled socialite Melanie Daniels and insolent attorney Mitch Brenner. Seeking but failing to purchase a pair of lovebirds for his little sister Cathy, Mitch travels to his family home in the friendly hamlet of Bodega Bay north of San Francisco. Motivated by her attraction to Mitch, Melanie goes up to leave the lovebirds secretly at his home, but oddly, a seagull attacks her as she pilots a boat on the bay. This is the start of what becomes a series of attacks that increase in scope and terror, and what I appreciate about Hitchcock's style is how he manages to build to them gradually, almost nonchalantly until the moment of strike when he lets the birds take over the screen. Equally intriguing is the way the characters are presented, especially Mitch's subtly dysfunctional family, and react to the attacks.
In a surprising twist, Hitchcock eschews the glamorous stars he usually casts for the leads, though ironically the journeyman-level contributions of Tippi Hedren and Rod Taylor seem to work in the film's favor as they don't distract from the allegorical storyline. Taking over for Grace Kelly, Hedren manages to exude the sophistication if not quite the complexity of Melanie. As Mitch, Taylor has always been a lunkish presence on screen and barely charismatic enough to elicit such fervent behavior from the women around him, but he manages the heroic sincerity necessary in the role. Far better are Jessica Tandy, who sublimates her natural likability to play Mitch's controlling, needy mother Lydia, and a sonorous Suzanne Pleshette as repressed schoolteacher Annie who still longs for Mitch despite Lydia's objections. I also love Ethel Griffies's bit as the elderly ornithologist who happens to be there to explain the genesis of the various bird species.
Even though the matte shots look dated compared to today's seamless computer animation, the effects are still startling, and some scenes are developed brilliantly, in particular, the schoolyard accumulation leading to a direct attack on the running children. There are quirks that are a bit frustrating for their artificiality - heavy use of back-screen projection, the predictable behavior of stereotypical town folk - but none of this detracts from the superb craftsmanship and breathless pacing toward the apocalyptic ending. There are several extras included with the DVD, the best being the looking-back documentary, "All About The Birds". This represents grand execution by a true master.