MovieChat Forums > The Birds (1963) Discussion > One of the greatest films ever made.

One of the greatest films ever made.

posted 8 years ago by LetThemEatCake01
19 replies | jump to latest

And possibly Hitchcock's best.

[–] syjohnson3 8 years ago

I agree it has some fabulous moments. The scene where Tippi Hedren is waiting outside on the bench at the school house while oblivious to the birds gathering on the jungle gym behind her is simply one of the greatest suspense scenes ever filmed. Alfred Hitchcock proved that you can have a suspenseful and scary scene without special effects and chainsaw murders. At least I think so. My teenager would certainly disagree. As far as she's concerned, if the producers don't spend a few million on gimmicks and special effects, it just isn't worth seeing.

By the way, one year my Halloween costume was Tippi Hedren. I bought an old dress at the Salvation Army store, and glued on some birds in various stages of flight that I bought at Michael's craft store (I spray painted them black). I added some fake blood here and there. I thought it was fabulous. Of course, nobody under the age of about 50yo understood my costume.

[–] PrometheusTree64 8 years ago

I really like the slow burn of THE BIRDS.

It's always notable to me how much the ornithologic assault in the attic room near the end of THE BIRDS feels like the shower scene in PSYCHO, while the nocturnal bird attack in the house feels like the visitation in Claire Bloom's room in THE HAUNTING (also 1963).

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[–] costumrs 8 years ago

Your costume sounds absolutely delightful. Do you gave them posted anywhere? I'm the International Costumers' Guild archivist. I'd love to list it on our Archive site.

[–] syjohnson3 8 years ago

Thanks! Sorry to say I have no pics of it - this was before cell phones and everyone having a camera. And didn't save it.

It was easy to do though....fake birds and a glue gun.

[–] EvilSpaceApple 8 years ago

I think Hitchcock should have let this be his, um, swan song.

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[–] syjohnson3 8 years ago

Haha, very punny! :-)

[–] libby2130 8 years ago

here is an interesting tidbit....one halloween on "Rosanne" the oldest daughter becky dressed as melanie from the birds!

[–] p25735-261-505738 8 years ago

I give you double props on your costume if you're a man.

[–] otter 8 years ago

I don't think it's a great film, although of course it has a place in film history.

For all the brilliant camera work, there's the problem of the protagonist who goes from unlikeable to broken, and that's not the only reason the film lacks real emotional power. It's chilling rather than involving.

“Seventy-seven courses and a regicide, never a wedding like it!

[–] LetThemEatCake01 8 years ago

how can it not be a great film?

[–] otter 8 years ago

Uh, because it's emotionally uninvolving?

Greatness isn't all about camera work.

“Seventy-seven courses and a regicide, never a wedding like it!

[–] LetThemEatCake01 8 years ago

How is it not emotionally uninvolving? And actually the emotional involvement is determined by the camera work. For instance, a movie like Cleopatra, it's impossible to get emotionally attached because of the horrific camera work.

[–] otter 8 years ago

I went into Melanie's deficits as a protagonist on another thread; she's not played by a good actress who can draw people in, and she does things that no real person would ever do, such as quietly walk into a room full of threatening birds and close the door behind her. During the course of the film she goes from not very likeable, to utterly foolish, to broken and mute... and she does it without learning or growing.

A good film has an emotional journey at its heart, whether it's Rick from "Casablanca" learning to care about people other than himself, Scotty from "Vertigo" descending into madness, every random hero getting the girl, or yes, Luke Skywalker learning to open his mind and use the Force. Such a journey needn't be pretty or happy, films about madness, sacrifice, or tragedy can be extremely gripping. But "The Birds" lacks any of that, the real stars are the camera and the birds, and not many people feel deep, caring, emotional links with the cinematography.

“Seventy-seven courses and a regicide, never a wedding like it!

[–] LetThemEatCake01 8 years ago

You are so mistaken, for starters she does not close the door behind her, it gets close when the birds begin attacking her by her startled reaction. This film has an emotional journey, the journey of Melanie and her love interest, and at the end being together like the lovebirds.

[–] otter 8 years ago

You're mistaken about Melanie and whatshisname ending up "like lovebirds". At the end, Melanie is traumatized, she's completely disconnected from him and is snuggling up to her man's mother rather than her man! She acts barely aware of his existence, and he's treating her like another little sister - getting her to safety because she's his responsibility, with as much romantic interest.

So if this film has an emotional core, it's the story of a woman being shattered by impossible circumstances; most movie heroes open their hearts to love or find the inner strength to meet a challenge - she fails to do either. The viewer feels pity for her rather than admiring her and identifying with her, because the camera is there to enjoy her suffering rather than to love her. And I never realized it until I wrote this out, but this movie is an expression of Hitchcock's coldest, most sadistic side, and that's why I can't love it.

PS: She was a damn fool to walk into that attic room at all, anyone with sense would have taken one look, quietly shut the door, and told everyone else that there was a hole in the roof and they needed to barricade the attic as well as the windows.

“Seventy-seven courses and a regicide, never a wedding like it!

[–] LetThemEatCake01 8 years ago

PS: She was a damn fool to walk into that attic room at all, anyone with sense would have taken one look, quietly shut the door, and told everyone else that there was a hole in the roof and they needed to barricade the attic as well as the windows.

Bravo for you. Your thread history sucks too.

[–] otter 8 years ago

That argument is so well thought out and convincing that I'm going to take everything you say extremely seriously!

Really.

“Seventy-seven courses and a regicide, never a wedding like it!

[–] LetThemEatCake01 8 years ago

I have nothing to say, your criticisms are dumb. It's like saying her dress is horrible because it's green. It doesn't say anything. The Birds is a technical and artistic masterpiece, it is one of the greatest films ever made, it's a fact.

[–] ztmillers-2 8 years ago

I went into Melanie's deficits as a protagonist on another thread; she's not played by a good actress who can draw people in, and she does things that no real person would ever do, such as quietly walk into a room full of threatening birds and close the door behind her. During the course of the film she goes from not very likeable, to utterly foolish, to broken and mute... and she does it without learning or growing.

A good film has an emotional journey at its heart, whether it's Rick from "Casablanca" learning to care about people other than himself, Scotty from "Vertigo" descending into madness, every random hero getting the girl, or yes, Luke Skywalker learning to open his mind and use the Force. Such a journey needn't be pretty or happy, films about madness, sacrifice, or tragedy can be extremely gripping. But "The Birds" lacks any of that, the real stars are the camera and the birds, and not many people feel deep, caring, emotional links with the cinematography.

I disagree respectfully. Melanie's storyarc comes from her trying to prove to others, and herself, that she's not just the dumb socialite who sometimes jumps into Roman fountains. Her initial encounter with Mitch in the birdshop incites her to follow him into Bodega Bay, and the film follows her attempts to show Mitch, and later Lydia, that she's more than the newspaper headlines say.

She's a likeable character. If not for her charisma and screen presence, then for her general good nature. She's nice with everyone she interacts with, even her potential rival, Annie. When Lydia is worried about Kathy at school, she volunteers to check on her, and helps protect her and the other children when they're under attack.

I mentioned in another thread that I believe Melanie's reasons for going into the bedroom alone deal with her assumption that perhaps she really is to blame for the birds' behavior--that she somehow brought this on the Brenners and Bodega Bay, like the mother at the restaurant accused her. She feels that, one, she has a responsibility to take care of the situation, and, two, if she can fix it on her own then she's somehow paid for her sins or whatever. Her arc reaches closure when she drives off with the Brenners, Lydia holding her, indicating that she's finally accepted Melanie.

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