Alfred Hitchcock’s name is almost synonymous with suspense
and audiences are sure to experience the thrill of a lifetime watching his 1963
masterpiece The Birds. The film
follows a wealthy socialite from San Francisco as she meets an interesting man
who piques her curiosity. She buys a pair of lovebirds for his sister and, when
trying to deliver them to him, finds that he has gone to visit his hometown for
the weekend. Being headstrong and used to getting her way, she traces him to
his hometown. Over the weekend, strange events involving birds begin to take
place.
The mastery of Hitchcock lies in that the narrative begins
unassumingly following a seemingly normal pattern of events involving romance
and not much more. However, in this slow and steady approach leading up to the
attack of the birds, Hitchcock reveals the story layer by layer, demonstrating
how build-up is the key to suspense.
Alfred Hitchcock
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Film Clip
When the birds begin attacking,
it starts with isolated events that increase in frequency and violence. Expressions
are captured and rendered so effectively so as to convey the sense of terror
faced by the characters. The main characters are trapped in the house being
attacked by birds and it seems a reversal of roles – humans are now caged
inside the house.
One of the best shot scenes is
when the female lead actor is attacked in the room towards the end of the film.
Here, elements of mis-en-scene and montage are combined in a manner reminiscent
of the famous shower scene from Hitchcock’s Psycho.
The shot has multiple takes, each focusing on different angles of the attack,
which combine to effectively convey the terror and brutality of the attack.
The film does not close with the
words The End, as most of his films, but rather closes with only the people
driving away in the car surrounded by the birds watching them. This speaks to
the audience, telling them that the horror does not end. It continues.
The film has been interpreted
differently by different people. But, one aspect that comes so obvious to us
through the film is that you cannot endlessly cage nature, lest you should be
caged by it.
- Elliot B Clarence
good job Elliot. I still remember my college days. I watched this film so many times to give presentation. The Birds is really a fantastic movie to read, both form and the content.. waiting to see analysis of more films..
ReplyDeleteHitchcock is the master of capturing one's fears on screen and making it palpable to the audience. The Birds is one such a remarkable example of his cinematic genius.
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