THE BIRDS (1963) Movie REACTION!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 16 ต.ค. 2024
- For Film Friday #93, Madison watches The Birds for the first time.
#thebirds #alfredhitchcock #firsttimewatching
Watch the FULL LENGTH reaction HERE: / madisonkthames
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Edited by Daniel Pulliam.
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I love the ambiguity of the ending. It makes it more unsettling, more eerie.
Another interesting note, there is no music/soundtrack.
@@IAMCAVE Yes! That was a wise decision!
this was based on a real event, & it was only recently learned why the birds were going crazy,
like 60 years later!
Tippi Hedren described the week of filming the attack scene in the upstairs room as one of the worst of her life. Crew members were endlessly flinging confused birds at her, and she had something of a breakdown on the set. Later, during the of filming of 'Roar,' her ankle was broken by an elephant and her neck was badly bitten by a lion, one of 150 or so hired for the film. Apparently no animals were harmed, but 70 crew members suffered bites and varying degrees of mauling, including daughter Melanie. Despite this, Tippi is a devoted animal rights activist and built a rescue foundation for lions and tigers, which she still chairs to this day.
That's interesting. Thanks for sharing.
That’s wild and crazy and rather impressive.
I helped activist Irene Ferguson with Tijuana dogs and she got financial support
from Tippi Hedren and Liz Taylor.
Apparently, wild animals are not tamed. Melanie was Melanie Griffin
@@darost Griffith.
Hearing the crows craw starting every autumn is prolly my favourite moment of each year! 🙂
The bird that Melanie wanted delivered to her apartment is not a Minor Bird but a Mynah Bird. Mynah Birds are easy to teach to talk or imitate sounds such as sirens, etc. Also, in the majority of birds, the males are the colorful ones in order to attract the females. Great reaction!
I've watched this movie several times and just accepted it as is, but you got me thinking...
Some quick thoughts...
This movie was based on a short story of the same name. It may be enlightening to read that.
In addition to re/introducing Mitch and Melanie to each other, the opening scene of the movie is set in a bird shop full of caged birds, and in it they showed how birds want to be free - that one bird who flew away when Melanie trie to take it out of the cage.
Melanie introduced caged birds (from a store full of birds in cages) to the community where the cooped-up birds (chickens) were on a hunger strike.
After Mitch and all drove away and left Bodega Bay, there was no one left to tell what happened so that's why it ended there.
Perhaps the movie was told from Melanie's memory; recounting what happened, and that's why it ended where it did.
If you've not scene it, Rope is a great and unique Hitchcock film; incredibly suspenseful.
And?
@@glennlesliedance " A Man can never have enough rope. " - comment from an ancient Western movie
Madison, I'm so happy you are exploring Hitchcock's movies! The first mistake people make about this movie is thinking it's about birds, or bird attacks or horror. There are so many themes about panic, people's fears, the breakdown of community, the beauty of family and so on. You won't really have time to explore them all but I always focus on Hitch's underlying theme, and that is your life, Madison's life and the world you function in, your area of existence and your sphere of control, or partial control, often interrupted by the unexpected; an auto accident, broken window, skinned knee, interrupted income or death in the family. Chaos, the universe that our world is a pinpoint in, an endless, unpredictable ever changing world, solar system, universe and beyond we make our space in. The peaceful world of Bodega Bay, like our world, has an incident, then two, then another, but in this instance they grow into an overwhelming onslaught of disturbances that threaten to defeat our endurance. Mitch, Melanie, Lydia and Kathy join together as a new family unit and cram themselves into a tiny conveyance to work their way through the universe of chaos, Melanie protected with her head on Lydia's shoulder, accepted and loved. Their tiny little orb of safety is what we inhabit in this unpredictable universe and the two little 'love' birds are how and how much we actually control of the boundless, unpredictable universe around us.
Brilliant!!!!!.
Madison, the birds in the town got spooked about those love birds she brought from Frisco.
This is the best analysis of this film I have ever run across - it really is brilliant, and concise as well. Thanks Snooky.
Your observations about the movie here are wanting. You talk a big talk but in the end you're really just throwing up your hands by making vague bombastic conclusions.
@@henrygonzalez8793 you're easily impressed.
The best creepy bird film ever.
Madison - Crows, or more accurately Corvids, are not only considered the smartest bird in the world, they are considered the 5th most intelligent animal species in the world. They are actually very fascinating creatures. Cheers!
Oh, and the little girl is Veronica Cartwright, from 'Alien'!!
I for years thought that Melanie Griffith was named after her mothers Melanie Daniels character in the film only to find that she had been born six years prior in 1957, so it would be impossible. Happy coincidence though!
I love the colors and how well everyone is always dressed in Hitchcock movies, thanks again!
Melanie Daniels AKA Tippi Hedren is Melanie Griffith's mother and Dakota Johnson's grandmother. Hollywood royalty.
Tippi remains the classiest and
She also contributed to help stray
dogs in Tijuana through my friend
Irene Ferguson in the 90s. Irene
met her and Liz Taylor as an
animal activist. I didn't , but I helped
feed the puppies.
The film is a dark lyric poem about the fragility of life.
Rod Taylor is also the voice of Pongo in 101 Dalmatians and just listening not watching it's VERY obvious
What's so great about Hitchcock is that his movies succeed on almost every imaginable level. First of all, for the basic average movie viewer, they are very enjoyable. Second, for the studio/investors, they usually made lots of money. Third, for academics and cinephiles, they are incredibly deep sources of ideas and theories and analyses and multiple interpretations. And finally, for the aesthetes, Hitchcock's greatest films, like the Birds, are unquestionably not only popular entertainment, but also works of art.
Clever insight which reminds me
of another great, Chaplin. We can't
add Von Stroheim because his
flicks are not for everyone and he
intentionally set out to spend huge
amounts of dough because he
despised producers.
Just to be clear... Alfred Hitchcock was a director and a very good one. He did not write the films and stories he directed. In this case this short story was written by Daphne du Maurier. His intent was to bring the writings of others to life. He was known to work from the script and story boards with no improvisation. In short, he was a teller of stories not the writer of them.
Hitchcock also made the movies "Rebecca" (Oscar for best movie 1940) and "Jamaica Inn" _(Riff-Piraten, 1939)_ which were based on her books. Another famous movie based on her work is "Don't look now" _(Wenn die Gondeln Trauer tragen, 1973)._
imho, making good movies from an existing story is an equally important art like inventing and writing the stories in the first place.
thanks to both of them !
@@Anson_AKB To be honest, I didn't care for a lot of her work. But her characters, especially the females were very complex and the novels and short stories were very well written. I don't agree that classic literature should be fair game for films. Short stories maybe...but a novel never condenses well into a film. Hollywood loves to take well loved tales and use them to simply turn a profit.
@@nightfall902The only thing I might say to that is a lot of times a movie will lead people to go read a book.
To be clear...you're wrong. Hitchcock wrote The Lady Vanishes (1938)
Shadow of a Doubt (1943)
Rope (1948)
Strangers on a Train (1951)
Vertigo (1958)
He didn't write his films, but he was certainly the author of them
This is the movie that I saw as a kid, that caused me to have to sleep with a pillow over my head and neck.......until my mid twenties.
This was a fun rewatch, it brought back good memories! When I was a kid, my parents took us out to Bodega Bay for vacation one year. They were entertaining my obsession with Hitchcock at the time so we made a point to visit the schoolhouse and the Tides restaurant from the film. Later that night we watched The Birds and had a lot of fun pointing out all the places we had just seen in person.
My favorite scene is when Mitch's mother goes to visit a neighbor and finds him torn up by the birds and she flees in horror very believable and tense
One of his films you must see is The Lady Vanishes. It's fast, funny, romantic, just a perfect date movie.
Hitch had planned an additional final scene but never got to film it because the studio deemed it to expensive. It would have seen the group crossing the Golden Gate Bridge in silence, the bridge abandoned, birds lining the suspension lines. It would have made it clear that the attacks were widespread, but would not have given any other answers.
Tippi (Melanie) said that scene in the attic was terrifying she said people were literally throwing the birds at her!!
Some of the birds were tied to her, I believe.
Thank you so much for reacting to this underrated and not much reacted to classic!
My family lived in Bodega Bay for MANY years. My grandma Elsie Steen was the model for the waitress with the dark framed glasses she worked at the Tides restaurant and Hitchcock liked her look. She's been gone a long time now, and every time I see the actress I tear up, she looks so much like gma. 🌹❤️RIPGMA❤️🌹
Best part of my day
A beautiful lady, and fantastic film.
Nice reaction and insight.
Loved Alfred’s cameo in this one.
Great video, keep it up 👍
I think it is either one of 3 things:
1 - The birds saw that the two love birds were trapped in a cage and started attacking Everyone,because they wanted to rescue the two love birds!
2 - According to "The Law Of Possibility" - Anything that can happen will happen,because it can happen!
3 - According to "The Law Of Impossibility" - Eventually given enough time something Impossible will happen!
When I lived in California a small
herd of elephants destroyed a car
dealership and squashed several
vehicles. I think sometimes animals
are fed up with us and let us know.
One theory I've read is that the birds reacted based on the relationship amongst the three main characters, when Mitch was about to drive off Melania and Lydia finally embraced and accepted each other, which caused the birds to stop attacking. Another thing, supposedly this was not the original ending, they were supposed to drive to the Golden Gate bridge which was covered in birds, but the studio ran out of money and scrapped the idea. Lastly I'd say this was almost a perfect movie, the ending drove me nuts as I don't like being left to using my own interpretation.
Hitchcock wanted to end PSYCHO immediately after Norman was discovered as the murderer. However, the higher-ups made him add the monologue so that the audience would KNOW, but Hitchcock assumed the viewers were as "smart" as he was.
@@lb8471 In fairness, audiences at the time likely *wouldn't* have understood. Hitchcock's instincts were right, but that epilogue is pretty damn good; the psychiatrist's grandstanding is perfectly off-set by Mother's inner monologue and that feckin' *smile* at the end...wouldn't trade that.
@Theomite , I actually think Hitchcock was wrong. I'm glad the epilogue was added. I agree with you; it was actually brilliant. The words were chilling for me. I was so shocked to hear him say that at times, Norman was Norman and Mother; at times, he was completely Mother, but there were never times when he was completely Norman. THAT is horror, to me. Not the actual killing, but the fact that Norman was totally gone.
@@Theomite People always think the last scene is unnecessary, but I've seen reactors who clearly needed it (even some who said it was unnecessary go on to talk about it in minute detail).
I believe you are absolutely right about the golden cage thing. Melanie gets herself into trouble a lot and can't get herself out of it, but instead (being stubborn) she makes it worse. Having no close friends or family to give her advise (father doesn't seem to care, aunt disapproves of her) she appears to be in constant rebellion against the world that is judging her. Mitch on the other hand seems to enjoy her being mischievous in a way, due to his job it feels familiar. And he understands why she is so defiant, that she needs acceptance above approval.
Alfred Hitchcock is an outstanding director when it comes to horror. This movie is one of his best.
My boyfriend and I are attending a 60th Anniversary showing of The Birds on Sunday evening 10/22. We’ve both seen it many times before but never on the big screen.
Also, I read the comments and don’t think anyone mentioned that Jessica Tandy (Lydia) was the original stage Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire.
Also kudos for mentioning that Rod Taylor (Mitch) was the voice of Pongo in Walt Disney’s 101 Dalmatians (1961).
Thanks for the engaging reaction! I think the meaning of the film is pretty basic - humanity's biggest fear is not having complete control of the surrounding world. Rationality, at some point, can't explain all, and that is incredibly unnerving. There are sub themes involving the relationships of man/woman and relationships between women. But the loss of control and rationality supersedes all of the sub-issues.
No it doesn't: (In response to your last sentence in your comment). Your conclusions here are wanting. It's the other way around, you put the cart before the horse. What will help you here is to keep in mind that Alfred Hitchcock was a devout Roman Catholic and lived in a moral universe as such. You have to understand that universe first i.e. the character of Melanie and her energy towards Mitch is more important than you think in relationship to "The Birds".
@@grosbeak6130 You've ignored AH's own comments - where he emphasized the film is about complacency, especially in regards to mankind's disregard of nature. He went on to say the film turns that complacency on humanity and visits the destruction and abuse of nature against humanity by means of birds acting purely destructively. The sub themes of relationships are secondary to this main theme. Therefore, you are El Wrongo...BTW, mankind's relationship with nature is central to Roman Catholicism. Humanity's place within the natural order, and the disorder caused by failure to align with the norms of nature, are crucial to the "perennial philosophy" of St. Thomas Aquinas, recognized as a Doctor of the Church. The essence of Roman Catholic teaching, as regards morality, revolves around both Revelation and the natural law. The natural law being innate to all humans regardless of membership in the Church. Like all educated Roman Catholics Hitchcock understood this.
The Birds is supposed to be a metaphor of the females and their relationship between one and another. There is actually a movie breakdown analysis on TH-cam. It is excellent and fascinating.
I remember reading the original short story this was based on in school. Gave me nightmares for weeks! The writer was Daphne du Maurier, who wrote "Rebecca" and "My Cousin Rachel" and "Jamaica Inn" among many others. The story takes place in Cornwall (I think...) an older, more rustic part of England than Bodega Bay was in this. The central family lives in an old farm house with small windows that are very easy to board up when the shit hits the fan, and during the siege they spare a thought for people in more modern houses with bigger windows.
The one thing that Hitchcock didn't take in his adaptation that stayed with me occurs late in the story while the family is barricaded in the farm house. It's been quiet for a while and they start hearing lots of planes passing over head, and they figure things are looking up and the Air Force is taking steps or something. Then they hear a lot of explosions one after the other. "Are they dropping bombs on the birds?" they wonder, but then they realize that the larger birds are fouling up the engines of the planes and causing them all to crash. They wonder if the Air Force isn't doing well against the birds, what hope do they have? The story ends on precisely the same note of uncertainty as the movie, but with the added kink of the lead guy smoking the last cigarette. Rather cool. ☺
Yeah, Nat takes the last cigarette from the pack and throws the empty pack into the fire. It's pretty obvious what happens in the story. Hitchcock actually made it possibly a bit brighter and a little more hopeful than the original. I personally didn't care for many of du Maurier's stories, however; all her characters, especially the women were very well written and very complex. Many here in the comment section, seem to think that Hitchcock wrote all the stories that he directed. It's good to see comments from, people that actually read the original stories.
A pdf of the short story is easy to find on the internet.
@@randyshoquist7726 Or possibly an audio file on LibriVox
The little girl played Lambert in Alien
Enjoyed your reaction! This is a great cast. Tippi Hedren, her difficulties with AH in this, and their next film together, are disturbing, but she stuck with it to make good films. Rod Taylor, who was an excellent leading man in the early 60s. Suzanne Pleshette, as Annie, she was a crush for lots of young guys (like me) growing up in that era. And then the brilliant stage actor, Jessica Tandy, as Mitch's mother. You'd really enjoy her performance in Driving Miss Daisy, with an equally great one by Morgan Freeman. A movie with Southern themes, done without condescension.
I grew up knowing Jessica Tandy from Batteries Not Included. I couldn't believe my eyes when I realized who she was in The Birds!
😋 you left out Veronica Cartwright, who played Mitch's sister Cathy ... She apparently grew up to be the pilot on long haul space freighters (Alien) 😂
@@HapsardAlso, VC was excellent in remake of Invasion of the Body Snatchers. And fondly remember her sister on 60s TV show Lost in Space, who played Penny Robinson.
Navigator. She was responsible for plotting the ship's course and keeping it on track during the voyage.@@Hapsard
One of the children at the birthday party is an uncredited Suzanne Cupito who years later would change her name to Morgan Brittany and star on the hit TV series Dallas.
Hitchcock's cameo has him with two of his Sealyham terriers, Geoffrey and Stanley.
This movie does not finish with the usual "THE END" title because Sir Alfred Hitchcock wanted to give the impression of unending terror.
With birds, it's usually the male with the more colorful feathers.
Cudos to you, Madison, with that speculation of Melanie being in a cage of her own making and that is why she couldnt get out of the upstairs room or take effective action immediately....I have seen this movie over 20 times and I hever made that connection. You think about people, ideas, siuational set ups and come up with some thoughtful original ideas. I am so impressed!!!
I also very much respected your commentary on Cool Hand Luke.
Again, cudos!
I've watched "The Birds" on a number of occasions over the years and each time I marvel at how exquisite this movie is from a visual standpoint. As a result, after each time I watch this movie I see distinctive little glimpses in my mind...its Melanie's green suit, or the aqua blue of the bay itself. The saturation of the colors and the shading are all cleverly added by the "Master of Suspense." I loved Melanie's character, a charismatic blending of aventurous, charming, and vulnerable...she is elegance in action. And now a new thing for me to think about, the thing you said about Melanie's "Guilded Cage," and how it might have been of her own making, or perhaps she was being punished for something, even though she was by all accounts a kind person. I really like your reaction channel because of the way you talk through your thoughts and impressions after each movie. Thank you for this wonderful reaction channel!
Great reaction, Madison - really appreciated your story teller's analysis at the end.
The dogs in Hitch's trademark cameo appearance were his own.
Rod Taylor, the lead male actor in this film, was an Australian actor who made it big in Hollywood way before it was more commonplace. He and Errol Flynn! Rod was also in the 60’s version of The Time Machine, which I think you’d really enjoy. The daughter, Cathy, is Veronica Cartwright, she was in Alien, Invasion of The Body Snatchers (70’s) and The Witches of Eastwick. All amazing films too!
I saw ‘The Birds’ with mom providing a running commentary. Especially sad was the background story she speculated between Mitch (Rod Taylor) and Annie (Suzanne Pleshette). I see that now everytime I watch this film.
First time I also saw the scenario that struck a chord with me. A group of survivors hiding out and banding together against impending doom. First at the diner at the wharf, and later at Mitch’s house.
Films with this scenario will stay with me and haunt me for all time:
Night of the Living Dead (1968 and 1990)
Dawn of the Dead (1978 and 2004)
Aliens
Maximum Overdrive (Yes, I like this one)
The Evil Dead (1981)
Storm of the Century (1999)
The Mist (2007, I hate this one the most)
Legion (2010, one of my all time favorites)
Tucker and Dale vs Evil (the scariest of them all!)
The Birds started it all and I still get chills whenever the scenario is set up in any film.
I also have an affinity for such plots. One of my more recent favorites is 2013's This is the End.
@@Lethgar_Smith Hitchcock was
the first in many things and in my
opinion all the Blood and gore in
more recent flicks are just a cop
out to hide inferior quality.He Is
still in a class of his own.
You left out the Exocrist.
A truly outstanding cinematic achievement.
I could be wrong... but the film seems preoccupied with uncertainty, insecurity, with not knowing what life might throw at us, or why. Birds are the most common creatures we know, and to have them turn against us without explanation is unsettling; it breaks a pattern of normality. Just as Lydia fears being left alone, and can't quite figure out what to make of the women in her son's life, the audience is left with a similar unease: what is happening? Why is it happening? We never find out, and that seems to be the point.
My older sister had a bird phobia. Here in S0-Cal we have Interstate 5 that I been on a few times from Los Angeles to San-Franscisco for mile 's you'll see cow pastures and along the interstate perched on the fences you;ll see miles of crows.
I lived in the S.F bay area for 20 years. Bodega and Bodega Bay are still very small towns. I heard somewhere the House had to be built on a wildlife preserve for the movie. The Tides restaurant was still there a couple years ago when we were there. The little girls (Mitch's sister) was later seen in a couple classic horror/ SiFi films. She was in Alien with Sigorney Weaver and Invasion of the body snatcher 1979 version. She then showed up in a remake of Invasion of the body snatcher called The Invasion with Nicole Kidman.
Fun movie but my favorite Hitchcock films are: Vertigo, Rear window, To catch a thief, North by North west, Psycho, The man who knew to much and Rope. Enjoy!
Girl w/ Dark Hair, wearing blue (51.08) is Morgan Brittany from _Dallas_ tv series & she was on Twilight Zone, Outer Limits and a bunch of tv shows from late-50-60s, stuff like Marcus Welby, Quincy, Policy Story, a regular on Dallas, etc in the 70s-90s.
I think it is a great ending, leaving it open to your own interpretation as to what happens. Now that's suspense. Great reaction!!!! Looking forward to the next one.
I love that you call the birds "murder birds."
Im so glad youve been loving these Hitchcock movies. His filmography is incredible and have enjoyed your reaction to all the movies u watch. : )
Lead actor in this is also in Hitchcock's Marnie staring Sean Connery.
"It ends there? Are you kidding me?" 😂 I had to laugh at that. This is one of my favorite movies, and I've watched it innumerable times. I was too young when it first came out, but watched it first on TV as a mid-teen. Yes, lots of unanswered questions. We are left to wonder.
Last minute recommendation : "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir", a wonderful romance. I think you'd love it!
Another great reaction, Madison. Btw, there's an interesting book by Camille Paglia about this film. She writes about the nuts and bolts and technical aspects behind the scenes as well as theories and symbolism of what Hitchcock might have been trying to convey. (along the lines of your gilded cage observation, for example.)
Master of suspense. Hitchcock once said, " it's not the bang that scares you, it's the anticipation of the bang."
yes, he said something like:
"You have 2 people eating at a table, nobody watches.
Now add a bomb under the table."
I saw this as a child and didn’t sleep for two nights.😂
You went into detail about the term 'gilded cage' and just watched Psycho where Norman Bates dialogued about everyone being in their own "private traps, clamped in them, and none of us can ever get out."
Add, Psycho was FILLED with tons of references to birds, the name Marion CRANE, stuffed BIRDS. Norman even knocks over a picture of a bird and the camera lingers on it. Hitch was a great self-promoter and used Psycho to promote his next project.
Notice how all of the storekeepers - bird store, post office, Tides bartender - are befuddled. A symbol of over all chaos.
I've always loved the ending to this film. It's an example of how fearless and uncompromising Hitchcock was as a filmmaker. Looking for a clear cut reason for the birds' behavior is like demanding a definitive explanation of why there are flesh-eating zombies in George Romero films. Sometimes not knowing such things for sure adds immensely to a film's effect. On a personal note, my brother and I visited Bodega Bay one day back in the 80s and got to see the schoolhouse. It was actually some distance from town. The little house at the top of the hill was there but looked completely different. I wonder if Hitchcock had a false front made for it for the film. I was surprised at how little the town's citizens that we spoke to knew about or were even aware of "The Birds." We got to eat at a waterfront diner called "The Tides" but it wasn't the one in the movie. A final note about the ending: I believe the studio originally added a "The End" right before the fadeout because audiences kept sitting there thinking the projector had broken down or something. I seem to remember seeing this tag on TV when I was a kid. One of my favorite things about Melanie's character is that as she sinks to the floor while being viciously attacked by the birds, we can hear her mutter "Where's Cathy?" Her concern for Mitch's little sister at such a time shows the depth of character beneath her cool facade.
Why do people need everything tied up in a neat bow , I saw this movie in a theater when it opened . When it said 'The End' , I said out loud , " beautiful ! " , while my friend said , " I want my money back ! " The ambiguity of the movie seemed to throw most people . During the movie I could not come up with a satisfying answer for why the birds attacked , so I was happy with an open answer. It just ended - BRAVO !
The Daphne Du Maurier short story had appeared in Hitchcock's magazine. "Jamaica Inn" (1939) was his last British film; "Rebecca" (1940) his first in Hollywood. Each was based on Du Maurier material.
Jamaica Inn is very underrated, I think.
Very nice review Madison! Hitchcoks's "The Birds" was the opening movie at the new theatre that opened in '63 where I lived in Cutler Ridge, FL. I was 12. I went opening night with my older sister and when we got in the only seats were in the front row. That movie scared the crap out of me with those giant images on that huge screen. I think I had bird nightmare's for a month, lol.
Not a movie for those who suffer from ornithophobia. Alfred Hitchcock apparently was so taken with Tippi Hedren's performance that he cast her the following year to star in 'Marnie' alongside Sean Connery. A film that has become for the most part rather forgotten since because it followed the much more acclaimed 'Psycho' and 'The Birds.'
Like Janet Leigh, Tippi Hedren also has a famous daughter, Melanie Griffith. She is also a big cat advocate. There are easy to find pictures of a teenage Melanie swimming with full-grown male lions in her backyard swimming pool.
I enjoyed your reaction Madison, it was interesting see you get that creeped out. It was funny that at first you thought of Mitch as this arrogant "player", and Melanie as this bad loose girl being much too aggressive.
Hitchcock is a master of suspense/mystery. He doesn't want to give a pat answer. He's challenging the audience to think about why. So he left it open ended.
You're given clues, but you're not given a pat answer. You could interpret it many ways.
You've got to think big picture. You're focusing on too many details.
The movie starts with both Melanie and Mitch buying birds in cages. She ends up buying the love birds trapped in the cage. Bodega Bay has all these wild birds.
Think of man vs nature.
You missed a key little piece of dialogue in the diner which you glossed over too quickly. The discussion in the diner is the central debate of the movie. You've got the woman bird expert. You've got the anecdotes of the fishermen. You've got the man who hates the birds and wants to kill them all.
Right in the middle of that whole debate, you hear the waitress yell out loudly "NEED AN ORDER OF FRIED CHICKEN". Hitchcock dark humor, but its a point of the plot. Man stuffing, caging, eating these birds, controlling nature. Are they striking back? What set them off? Melanie coming to town with those caged love birds?
Think of all the bird incidents. Melanie attacked by a gull. Later a gull runs into the teacher's door. Then the birds attack the bday party. Melanie is there. Then the school, they gather behind her and then attack. Then she's in town, and the birds attack the town. Then the house. Etc. Is Melanie the common link or is Hitchcock toying w the audience?
You also glossed over the bird's eye views during the attack on the town. The Birds are hovering over the town as its in chaos and on fire. Almost like they are admiring their handiwork. Hitchcock doesn't put wasted shots in his films. Those overhead shots of the Bird attack are very purposeful.
As was the final shot. All those birds of different species,massed together, surrounding the house, forcing them to retreat and abandon their home on the bay. And as they drive silently off, you hear the crows squawking and the seagulls screeching, almost laughing in victory. Nature won in this case, man lost.
I believe its just a bizarre way of Hitchcock chastising man's attempts to control nature. He picks what we would think would be one of the most harmless animals, everyday birds, who are so commonplace that we hardly pay attention to them. He didn't pick wolves, or bears or even dogs, horses or cattle, he made a movie of terror and fear based on crows, sparrows, and seagulls etc massing together in some organized way and striking back at the people who had birds in cages. But he left open the how and why for us to think about. I think after Psycho, Hitch decided if people think I'm making "horror" films, I'll make one where ordinary birds scare humans. But in doing so, he's also making observations about how humans react to danger, to fear, to something unusual, and the women in the diner blaming Melanie is a perfect example of the crowd psychosis of assigning blame to someone for something that can't explain or figure out. Hitch is working on several levels. In the end, its Hitchcock leaving the WHY, and what will happen unknown and open ended the most chilling part. Man wants to know, to control everything, but man cannot control everything, especially nature. The UNKNOWN is the scary part.
Btw, Hitchcock was obsessed with blondes but especially Tippi Hedren.(as I was when I saw this as a young teenager!). She had a tough time filming that upstairs scene. She is the mother of actress Melanie Griffith (see Something Wild). The teacher Suzanne Pleshette was Bob Newhart's wife in the 70s show.
I guess she didn't like my analysis. 🙄
This is a huge example of why they call Hitchcock the master of suspense.
I think a huge part of the terror this movie stirs in you is that the birds seem so normal. We all see them everyday.
A Meme of my late childhood... Movie Theatres advertising: "THE BIRDS IS COMING", and driving school English teachers crazy! 🙂
The Birds" is loosely based on the horror story by the British writer Daphne du Maurier who also wrote the book "Rebecca" which Hitchcock also based a film on that won the Oscar for Best Picture in 1940. She also wrote the novel Jamaican Inn which Hitchcock adapted into a film in 1939. I find du Maurier's female characters to be very complex.
Finally thank you. So many people think Hitchcock wrote everything he directed.
For the record, vultures, as creepy as they are, perform a very necessary function in the natural world.
…..and Gary Larson’s “The Far Side” would not be as great! 😊
Hitchcock used the plot device known as a MacGuffin, which is an object or event that is necessary for the plot to develop but relatively unimportant themself. In this movie, the lovebirds are obviously the MacGuffin. I think like many stories, the ending is left without explanation so that the audience can use their own imagination. Enjoyed your reaction! 😎
Suzanne Pleshette is the GOAT. So is JessicaTandy.
If you were to ask Alfred Hitchcock if there was a theme tie-in between Melanie being in a gilded cage of her own making and needing to be rescued from that by others outside of herself, and being trapped in the upstairs room and not being able to get out on her own, but needing to be rescued by Mitch and Kathy and their mother, he would look at you and say you were crazy and that wasn't what he had in mind at all. Meanwhile, his psychologist, sitting in the same room, would clasp his hands, tapping the tips of his index fingers together, and say, "I think you understand Mr. Hitchcock's mental workings better than he understands them himself."
"Break their necks, Mitch!" 😆
Tippi Hedren is so beautiful. Her acting was quite good too. That phone booth scene was quite good but her going into that room upstairs was the best scene in the movie to me. She was traumatized. When this movie ended, they left that area. A whole lot of question marks to what happened after the ending. That is Alfred Hitchcock. They have Rod Taylor as the star of this movie. To me Tippi Hedren was the star.
Great reaction!!
Enjoyed hearing your ideas at the end!!
When I saw this as a child, I felt satisfied they escaped, so there was closure. When I saw it again as an adult, I felt the same way you did.
Veronica Cartwright [ Cathy, the daughter ] also played Lambert in 'Alien,' 16 years later.
Maybe Hitchcock knew his ending could never compete with the horrible conclusions we conjure in our imagination 😂
You've seen Mitch's little sister before - she was played by Veronica Cartwright who played Lambert in "Alien".
The short story that the movie is based off of is inspired by true events in 1961. The people of Capitola California awoke one morning to find birds dive bombing their houses and smashing their cars and vomiting everywhere. For decades no body had an explanation till a similar event in 1991 happened and it wasn't until 2012 that they discovered that a type of diatom (a type of plankton) was responsible. The diatom creates a neurotoxin and shrimp eat the diatom and then the birds eat the shrimp making them go nuts.
Fun Fact: Tippi Hedren is the mother of Melanie Griffith.
In that first scene where the bird pecked Melanie reminded me of how some of the birds in my area would do the same thing to one of the cats. The cat ignored the birds most of the time. Occasionally we see dead birds with nothing but the wings, feet and head left over. I guess that bird pecked the cat one time too many.
The Mother was veteran actress Jessica Tandy from fried green tomatoes 👍✌️❤️
Rod Taylor also stars in a Sci-fi/Adventure film called....
The Time Machine (1960)
A must see for the special effects alone ! Academy Award Winner !
Brilliant and gorgeous film.
Another fantastic reaction and interpretation! Thank you so much! I would love to sit down with you and discuss Hitchcock. While he didn't actually directly write scripts or screen plays, he firmly "guided" his writers to present the visuals and affections per his interpretations. If you'd like to dive into the man a little, I recommend you watch some of his tv show reruns. He narrates a prologue & epilogue that are fantastic and somewhat revealing as to his character. Also, there are many interviews and several biographies. What a complex man!
As to "The Birds", some of your interpretation are very interesting and need deeper dives. As far as why did they attack and the open ending , it wouldn't surprise me if Hitch enjoyed leaving both open. No explanation & no closure are both terrifying. Look how you needed them both. I can imagine him addressing the theatre goers (didn't happen); "Enjoy you stroll back to you autos, whatever you do, don't panic and for heaven's sake, don't run".
Also, you are aware of his cameos right? Thanks again!
Oh goodie! A Birds reaction! Can’t wait!!!
First time watching you. Loved the way you reviewed the film. Saw this film back in the 60’s, two days after seeing the Bird, we has seagulls in the field behind are house. It’s strange because we lived in the mountains of West Virginia. We hid in a closet, still are parents came home. Lol
I think Hitchcock (or the original short story author) was using the birds as a metaphor for Mother Nature striking back at humans.
Aside from your like or dislike of certain burds, crows/ravens are among the most intelligent of all the species.
Watch closely when Tippy Hendren (Melanie, in the film,, and she named her daughter, Melanie, Melanie Griffith the actress)
When Melanie walks into the pet store,
The gentleman that walks out with two dogs IS Alfred Hitchcock in a cameo with his two dogs.
Also,
There was a TV series caled
“Alfred Hitchcock Presents”
All short stories
All fantastic
If you can find them
Black & White TV program
Saw this when I was a little kid, and thought it was real spooky.
Worse, and stranger, my mother's side of the family has this really weird thing with birds. There's been more than half a dozen instances that a bird has flown into the house or tried to get into the house, and someone in that house dies within the next week or two. This has happened to my grandfather, a couple of my grandmother's sisters, one of my great grandmothers, and I believe one of my mom's uncles. The deaths were always some kind of health problem; no dramatic murders or accidents.
My own mother was sick for a long time when a bird tried to get into the house but was prevented by a screen door. It still tried to get in, either by flying, or by sitting on the threshold and kind of pecking at the door for nearly 10 minuets. About 10 days later a blood clot in her leg moved, she suffered a stroke, and she died in the hospital about 8 days later. A similar thing happened to me some years later, and I also had a stroke.
Luckily, obviously, I survived. Still, the damned things creep me out. Maybe it was just coincidence, maybe I'm just being silly, but I want nothing to do with them.
It only happens if you're Irish.
Italians are careful not to put
a hat on the bed or open an
umbrella indoors. It's all bull
but why take chances?
That brennen girl, after escaping that birds attack, grow old, became an astronaut and then was killed by a xenomorph Alien.
Anyone recognize "Kathie"?
As an adult, she was crewman "Lambert" in the movie "Alien" 1979.
Veronica Cartwright.
She has a famous older sister that was on a very 50's popular sitcom, "The Danny Thomas Show".
With no big musical accents to enhance the action, this movie had NONE.
I remember seeing this in the theater when I was 14 and when the full silence of the farmer's pecked out eyes in a three tiered close-up hit, it scared the B-Jesus out of me.
Hitchcock was a genius!
I had seen "Psycho" when it came out in 1960 but even though I was 11 years old then, I didn't find it scary even with the classic "violin stabbing" music.
I will say that my over all favorite Hitchcock movie is "Marnie".
There are no wayward birds, no one getting stabbed in the shower but just a psychological drama. (Starring Tippi Hedren)
Speaking of underlying meanings in Hitchcock's stories, if you do see Marnie, you'll see Hitchcock's compulsion with women and crime and how it effects their lives and the psychology involved. Though not explored so much in "Psycho", he does give you more of a story with its effect on Marnie.
The young girl, Kathy, is Veronica Cartwright. She's an excellent actress and she played Lambert in the Sci-Fi Horror film "Alien"! She's been in many great movies and even a few horror films.
Birds are funny 😆 🐦
I really feel you would appreciate the film "Hitchcock". It's about Alfred Hitchcock's challenges in producing the "Psycho" film. Hitchcock is portrayed by Anthony Hopkins , and we all know how much he puts into every role he acts . 🏆 ❤ 😱 🎥
Mynah Birds are extremely intelligent birds who have a great ability to mimic human speech and other sounds. As such, they can make very interesting pets. As for Love Birds, I think the males and females look virtually identical in most cases. But they, of course, can tell the difference! 😄
Lots of interesting stories behind this one. Example. Little kathy. Later on she was the co-star to the original alien film. Veronica Cartwright
If you liked Tippi Hedren in this (and I adore her), check out her next (and last) film for Hitch, the cruelly underrated MARNIE (1964). Also the last film for his long-time collaborators, cinematographer Robert Burks, editor George Tomasini, who died soon after Marnie's release; and composer Bernard Herrmann, whose musical score (especially the Marnie theme) is superb. Also stars Sean Connery.
Loved your reaction. So glad you are watching Hitchcock films. There are so many good ones, but I would especially recommend Notorious, Rebecca, and Shadow of a Doubt. Spellbound is also very interesting. You basically can’t go wrong with any Hitchcock movie !
Birds have the element of mystery and horror in the same time. A classic Hitchcockian film.
Yeah, her being out there on that tiny boat on such a large body of water and no life jacket was pretty crazy. I'd be nervous as hell out there.