mildly outdated, yet still has suspense.....

Rating: 8/10 (31 July 2001)

I am a fan of most of Hitchcock. I was pleased when I watched 'The Birds'. There are many things in this movie that are quite outdated, such as some acting techniques, as well as special effect techniques. Even with such faults, minor ones if you ask me, Hitchcock manages to create some real suspense that is still effective today. Specifically in the last half hour of the film.
He creates great suspense with his incredible use of sound effects creating the deafening noises of the birds attacking a house. What we get to see is the terror the people inside the house feel. In this whole sequence of events we get an excellent climax. Plus he gets us very well, not by making things happen, but by putting the thought into our heads that something could happen.
The most ominous parts in this movie are not when the birds attacking, but when Hitchcock frames them gathering. The attacks are excellent in and of themselves, but its the waiting that creates the suspense. Its our knowing something that the characters don't that make it exciting, and Hitchcock does a great job of utilizing that here.
Its not the greatest movie I have ever seen, but it was very good, and even with some things being outdated, it was still an innovative idea and you should check it out at least once, just to see for yourself. 8 out of 10.