There are countless readings into what, exactly, The Birds is all about. Indeed, the fact that this is a Hitchcock film - one with a production history just as interesting as the film itself - marks it out as one of those pictures to be met with endless analysis. But even taken at face value, The Birds is a clawing masterpiece of horror invention; one that hones in on our inherent human fear of the unknown, and what happens when forces that are ordinarily fixed fall out of line. In this case, the birds of the world began to strike back against humanity with violent force for no reason. Over the course of production, Alfred Hitchcock famously tormented his leading lady, Tippi Hedren, until she could be tormented no more. Sad as that is, every inch of her frustration and anger at the director is right up there on screen, which ultimately serves to make The Birds are far more raw and thunderous experience. Because the idea could have fallen flat. Birds aren't scary, after all... and yet that was the point. Hitchcock's masterstroke here was in the slow reveal of the birds; he has them looming in the background, building their ranks, until it's finally time.
Sam Hill is an ardent cinephile and has been writing about film professionally since 2008. He harbours a particular fondness for western and sci-fi movies.
