The Birds (1963) | Alfred Hitchcock | Movie Recommendation | Movie Review | Movie Explained

The Birds is a 1963 American natural horror-thriller film produced and directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Film loosely based on the 1952 short story of the same name by Daphne du Maurier, originally published in the short story collection “The Apple Tree”. The screenplay is by Evan Hunter, who was told by Hitchcock to develop new characters and a more elaborate plot while keeping du Maurier's title and concept of unexplained bird attacks. It focuses on a series of sudden and unexplained violent bird attacks on the people of Bodega Bay, California, over the course of a few days.
Unlike Hichacock’s prior work, one element that distinguishes The Birds from the start is the absence of a traditional score, most notably one by Bernard Herrmann, whose work for the director had become synonymous with The Master of Suspense and is credited here as a “sound consultant.” Instead, he made use of sound effects and sparse source music in counterpoint to calculated silences. He wanted to use the electroacoustic Mixtur-Trautonium to create the birds squawking, flapping and fluttering.
Among the central themes explored in The Birds are those of love and violence. The representation of the birds in the film constantly changes to reflect the development of these themes, and the story itself. At first, the lovebirds in the pet store signify the blossoming love between Melanie and Mitch, and the sexual tension between the two. However, the birds' symbolism changes once they begin to attack Bodega Bay. Hitchcock stated in an interview that the birds in the film rise up against the humans to punish them for taking nature for granted. This interpretation of nature exacting vengeance against humankind has only gotten more and more relevant over time. As the human race has continued to deplete the planet’s natural resources, killing animals, drilling for oil, and tearing down rainforests, nature has responded through the destructive effects of climate change.
Humanities scholar Camille Paglia wrote a monograph about the film for the BFI Film Classics series. She interprets it as an ode to the many facets of female sexuality and, by extension, nature itself. She notes that women play pivotal roles in it. Mitch is defined by his relationships with his mother, sister and ex-lover-a careful balance that is disrupted by his attraction to the beautiful Melanie.
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