Not Hitchcock's finest, but overall a great film

Rating: 8/10 (25 January 2008)

The Birds, Alfred Hitchcock's second adaptation of a Daphne du Maurier novel (the first being Rebecca), is about a fictional town in Northern California which is attacked by birds after Melanie Daniels, the main character, comes to visit a man who caught her interest, Mitch Brenner. It is a thriller/horror.
Overall, the film was well-done. Although not as great as some of Hitchcock's other films, he definitely left his mark on it, as he does with all of his films: the dark humor, the haunting mom character, and, of course, the blonde female victim.
Using key collaborators which have worked with him on other projects, Hitchcock used his skilled team to make a great film. Robert Burks, the cinematographer who worked with Hitchcock on other projects such as Strangers on a Train (1951), Dial M for Murder (1954), Rear Window (1954), To Catch a Thief (1955), Vertigo (1958), and North by Northwest (1959) did a remarkable job. This one shot, where he shoots upwards, after the last attack, is terrifying as I kept expecting another one.
What I found in Hitchcock's films, specifically in this one, is that the action scenes aren't the scary part, the anticipation to them is. The scene in which Melanie goes up the stairs and you just know something bad is going to happen and there will be birds was more nerve-wrecking than the actual attack. This, in my opinion, is Hitchcock's strong point. He is able to hold the suspense in such a way that is shuddersome.
Regarding the comedy, in the scene in the diner, the one guy who kept commenting on it being the end of the world was fitting for Hitchcock's humor, as it was more comedic than actually serious.
Although there was no musical score in the film, Bernard Hermann is still credited as a sound consultant. I found that fact interesting, as there wasn't even a beginning score, just the sound of birds.
The female character was, of course, the victim once again in this film as in many others of Hitchcock. Male superiority is clearly seen. An example in this film is when the man at the gas station is hit. Mitch orders Melanie to stay inside while the rest of the "hopeless" females and children watch on the sidelines as the brave men go outside to try and save the day.
As said earlier, the film was overall a good one. It is too overrated when it comes down to it being as scary as people say. The performances were good, nothing great or exceptional such as in Hitchcock's Rear Window. Hitchcock used his "suspense-skill" in a perfect way and his sense of humor shone through as well .