Incredible Hitchcock film... more scary than most other horror films

Rating: 8/10 (27 March 2004)

Hitchcock has a unique film style; no one can do exactly what he does when directing horror films. His talent is especially obvious in this film; all the nice little touches, the old typical Hitchcock details(controlling mother, minor romance between male and female main characters, strong-willed, powerful female main character, etc.) are beautifully and discreetly put into the film, without in any way distracting from the main plot or disturbing the natural cycle of the film. I like how Hitchcock, as with several other of his big films(Psycho immediately comes to mind) starts with one story, that has nothing in particular to do with the source of the terror. The movie starts with a certain story, that has nothing to do with the actual horror of the film, and ends with that story still present, instead of just flat-out starting the film with a story about birds attacking people. There are hints and a lot of foreshadowing from the very minute that the movie starts, but it's not the main theme of the film until the last fourth part. The plot is pretty good, interesting and developing consistently throughout the movie. The actors all perform very well, with no exceptions. The characters are believable, and their actions are mostly entirely understandable. In fact, I found it far more psychologically realistic, in how it portrays the different characters emotional reactions to the situations. The special effects are amazing; the film is more than forty years old and the effects look very dated today, but it still scared me more than I could have possibly imagined. I don't think I'll look at a bird the same way ever again. Another masterpiece from the master of suspense. I recommend this to anyone who doesn't mind watching a film that isn't entirely new, and who are looking for a good scare. I have a hard time imagining anyone not being scared by this film. 8/10