31 More Days of Horror: The Birds (1963)

You know the idea of it is scary as heck—birds running amok in Bodega Bay. And with Alfred Hitchcock’s demented direction and unparalleled touch The Birds is as effective now as ever.

The film begins unassumingly—much like a romantic comedy of the day. San Francisco socialite Melanie (Tippi Hedren) crosses paths with handsome bachelor attorney Mitch (Rod Taylor) and follows him back to his hometown. The wholesome village of Bodega Bay soon experiences a seemingly freak avian assault. Locals comment on the random events, but the tide has already turned into a vicious fowl uprising.

Simple in its delivery, but brutally riveting The Birds is a masterpiece of horror for many reasons. We'll look at two.

1. No score.  Most viewers don’t notice it. There is no background music to speak of resulting in a truly horrific intensity when the birds assault.
2. Editing. Again, Hitchcock shows his brilliance. Right out of the gate you are entranced by his subtle techniques. See the pet shop scene at the beginning. It’s merely a clue to what is to come.

I love how Hitchcock builds the tension with no release. You’d have to be living in a cave not to know about this movie, so you expect—going into it—the birds to attack. But you get to stew. The viewer is pushed to edge before the mayhem is unleashed.

The scene that gets me time and time again is the school yard. That sequence of quick shots floors me every time. The chill up your spine, the shortness of breath, the goosebumps—God, I love it!

The Birds is easily my favorite Hitchcock film. So much more than a creature feature, this film is worthy of an examination. See this masterpiece. You won’t be disappointed.