One of Hitchcock's strongest films

Rating: 8/10 (14 February 2017)

"The Birds" is one of the greatest classics in Alfred Hitchcock's career. Its story basically reports an attack of raging birds against a small village on the Californian coast. The movie has often been touted as overrated but I definitely disagree. It's true that this kind of situation is quite unusual and the reasons for the abnormal behavior of the birds is never properly explained to us. I also considered the way the main character behaves, practically chasing a man she is attracted to without knowing him, is illogical and, at least, strange. That's the biggest negative criticism I can make of this movie which, apart from that, is flawless. The script explores a "nature vs. human" situation quite well, doing it in a way that we actually see as threatening, dangerous and tense. The way the birds behave is highly intimidating, and I just hope no animal has been wounded during the shootings. Cinematography is very good as well as visual effects. Tippi Hedren gave life to the main character, Melanie Daniels, a young spoiled daughter of a big-shot, and Rod Taylor played Mitch Brenner, for whom she is romantically interested. Both actors went very well in their characters, counting on the collaboration of a very competent support cast.