A classic Hitchcock suspense thriller. Although at points the stuffed birds did make me laugh I really enjoyed this film, and was happy that it lived up to my expectations of being a strange, tense experience right from the very start.
Despite the film starting slowly and seeming to go nowhere for the first 30 minutes it soon picked up pace and I found myself really on-edge waiting for the foreboding bird attacks. We follow of woman, Annie, on her journey up to Bodega Bay near San Francisco. After being attacked by a gul on her way across the town's lake herself and the locals becomes suspicious of the local bird population. What follows is a fun game of anticipation and excitement as we wait and wait and wait for the birds to begin their full on war with the human race...
The suspense is masterfully built with a mix of sometimes long shots, holding on something seemingly irrelevant, or quick cuts of birds whoosing through the air or of terrified faces. There is a distinct lack of music that really helps sell a desolate, unescapeablele locale and emphaises the terrifying (and electronically created by Bernard Hermann) sounds of the birds. Expect shocks,long, drawn out suspense scenes and character flailing around as birds peck them to death.
The Birds, I think, is nothing more or less than a film designed to scare, disturb and nerve it's audience. The characters are vivid, the reckless leading leading, sarcastic man, emotional mother and vulnerable sister. All very interesting, but what is great about the birds is the brilliant way in which Hitchcock builds tension and although it is undoubtedly present, we don't really see the birds attacking that much. We're just waiting. And making a film that's fun to watch were nothing much happens, but you'r waiting and waiting is hard to do. Of course, it Hitchcock can't do it no one can!
Overall
A suspense-filled enjoyable film with it's fair share or scary scenes, grusome deaths and narrow escapes. I only wish it ended better and then the huge ammount of suspense and tension built would have payed off in a better way. I wanted more bird attacks!
Spoiler Section
Why did they leave the school? Surely it would've been easier to stay inside and just not get chased and attacked by the crows. And why did Annie, flailing and screaming whilst being attacked by the birds in the attic, lean against the door she was trying to open. That was a bit stupid.
End Spoilers
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