Hitchcock's Finest

Rating: 9/10 (27 August 2013)

I may be in the minority, but I feel that "The Birds" was Alfred Hitchcock's masterpiece. The basic premise of the movie is as compelling as any can be; the feathered creatures in the trees and in the sky, which we all take for granted, suddenly begin acting strangely, attacking humans.
Tippi Hedren is incomparably lovely as the heroine. One can understand why the sexually frustrated Hitchcock was so obsessed with her. But she's not mere candy for the eyes; Hedren turns in a compelling, underrated performance. Rod Taylor is fine, but is overshadowed by the stunning Hedren, who steals every scene she's in.
One of the most memorable, visually impactful scenes in the history of cinema occurs in "The Birds," when Tippi Hedren sits down on a bench at the school playground to smoke a cigarette, and a huge number of birds, with eerie silence, gradually gather on the monkey bars behind her. Another classic moment comes in the diner, where the patrons express the growing panic of the sleepy little community, and an elderly woman, who is an ornithologist, defends the birds, and regarding any war with them, declares, "Why if that happened, we wouldn't have a chance!"
There is a bit too much gore in the film for my taste, and the ending has always struck me as unsatisfying, but overall "The Birds" is a brilliant piece of work, by one of the all time greatest directors.