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1960s Retrospective: The Birds (1963)

04 Thursday Jul 2024

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Alfred Hitchcock’s 1963 classic “The Birds” remains a landmark in cinema, not merely for its technical prowess and narrative innovation but also for its profound exploration of psychological trauma and grief. Hitchcock, the master of suspense, transcends the horror genre to deliver a chilling meditation on the fragility of the human psyche and the unpredictable forces that can shatter our sense of security.

Set in the quiet coastal town of Bodega Bay, California, “The Birds” begins with a seemingly innocent romance that quickly spirals into chaos as flocks of birds inexplicably begin attacking residents. Hitchcock’s use of sound and silence, combined with pioneering special effects, creates an atmosphere of pervasive dread. The absence of a traditional musical score enhances the terror, drawing viewers into a world where nature itself becomes a relentless, unfathomable antagonist.

At its core, “The Birds” delves deep into the realm of psychological trauma. The sudden, unprovoked attacks serve as a metaphor for the unpredictable nature of trauma in real life. Characters are forced to confront their deepest fears and vulnerabilities as their orderly world disintegrates. Hitchcock masterfully portrays the disintegration of societal norms and personal sanity, capturing the essence of how trauma can abruptly disrupt and dominate one’s life.

Melanie Daniels (Tippi Hedren), the protagonist, undergoes a harrowing transformation. Initially portrayed as a confident and independent woman, Melanie’s encounters with the birds strip away her façade, revealing a raw, exposed nerve. Her journey symbolizes the process of confronting and enduring trauma, illustrating the internal and external battles one must face. The character’s vulnerability and resilience echo the experiences of those who have faced real-life traumas, making her plight deeply relatable.

Grief is another significant theme explored in “The Birds.” As the avian assaults escalate, characters experience profound loss—not just of life but of their sense of normalcy and security. The community of Bodega Bay, once serene and idyllic, becomes a landscape of fear and mourning. Hitchcock’s portrayal of collective grief resonates powerfully, reflecting the shared human experience of loss and the struggle to find meaning and solace amidst chaos.

The relationship dynamics in the film further emphasize the theme of grief. Lydia Brenner (Jessica Tandy), grappling with the death of her husband, exhibits a protective yet strained relationship with her son, Mitch (Rod Taylor). The bird attacks exacerbate her existing fears and insecurities, highlighting how trauma can reopen old wounds and intensify unresolved grief. Through Lydia, Hitchcock underscores the lingering impact of loss and the difficulty of healing in the face of new traumas.

“The Birds” has had a lasting impact on the portrayal of psychological trauma and grief in cinema. Hitchcock’s ability to weave these themes into a horror narrative paved the way for future filmmakers to explore the deeper emotional and psychological underpinnings of fear. The film’s influence is evident in contemporary works that address trauma and grief through the lens of horror and suspense, demonstrating the genre’s potential to explore complex human experiences.

Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Birds” is more than a suspenseful thriller; it is a profound exploration of psychological trauma and grief. Its enduring legacy lies in its ability to capture the unpredictable and often devastating impact of these experiences on individuals and communities. Hitchcock’s genius ensures that “The Birds” remains a poignant and relevant work, continuing to inspire and resonate with audiences more than half a century after its release.

  • Saul Muerte

1960s Horror Retrospective: Psycho (1960)

25 Thursday Apr 2024

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If ever there was a movie that defined horror films and launched the genre to a new level, it is Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho. So impactful was the film upon the popular consensus, that it would shift the perspective and inspire future filmmakers but upon its release it would not receive such high accolades, mainly directed at the melodramatic choices and these sensationalistic tendencies from Hitchcock were based purely on shock value, labelling Psycho as a gimmick.

The reason Psycho holds such a lofty position over 60 years since its release, is not just the shift in tone, whether it was the surprise murder of Marion (Janet Leigh) a third of the way through the movie, or the identity of Norman’s mother, but the psychological components that drive deep into the heart of the narrative. The stylised elements that Hitchcock adds to the film are the eloquent touches that allow these conceptual components to flourish.

Like Peeping Tom released earlier in the year, Psycho plays with the voyeuristic approach to the narrative, luring the viewer into the seemingly fragile Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins), a man traumatised by the emotional abuse of his mother. This is more noticeable when Bates removes the painting to look through a peephole at the unwitting Marion has she undressed. The male gaze and the seduction has never before been dallied with in a high-profile feature.

There are also strong symbolisms embedded throughout that entrench the foundations that it was built upon. Amongst the questionable character traits that keep the audience guessing, there are also twists and turns of vulnerability and exploitation that thread throughout. These executions on delivery would leave audiences feeling anxious or unease, daring to go where movies had feared or were unable to do so relaxed views on the Production Code; an act of self-censorship imposed by the industry. The fact that Psycho overshadowed Peeping Tom for broaching similar themes seems unjust, where one director would rise to prominence and be forever remembered for his film, whereas the other would be doomed to a fallen career as a  result.

That’s not to say that Psycho doesn’t deserve to have the recognition bestowed upon it, The performances by the film’s leads, Janet Leigh, Anthony Perkins and Vera Myles are at their most renowned and for good reason. Perkins’ flickers around with Bates’ personality casually swinging from likeable charm and gaining our sympathy to an unsettling picture of a man who is on the brink of reality. 

I’ve yet to remark on the score by Bernard Herrmann, whose jarring strings punctuate the now infamous shower scene in stark contrast to the muted, darker and intense scenes. The use of tension as it slowly wrenches up though Arbogast’s (Martin Barlsam) investigations and the pursuit of truth from Marion’s sister Lila (Leigh) and Sam Loomis (John Gavin), Marion’s lover drive our own hopes that our suspected protagonist will prevail before the veil is firmly drawn from before our eyes.

There are countless areas that I could wax lyrical on but these have been discussed on other platforms before, Needless to say, it takes place here (rightfully) for its entry into the 1960s horror retrospective. With three sequels, a dubious remake, and a TV series all centred around Norman Bates have further cemented its status and will forever be immersed in our collective psyche.

– Saul Muerte

1960s Horror Retrospective

The Flesh and the Fiend

Eyes Without A Face

Peeping Tom

Retrospective – The Birds (1963)

28 Tuesday Mar 2023

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Before Steven Spielberg instilled our fear of the ocean and created the first Summer Blockbuster in Jaws, Alfred Hitchcok attempted to do something similar but instead of sharks, the attack on humanity came from the skies for his feature adaptation of Daphne Du Maurier’s The Birds.

Not for the first time would Hitch go to Du Maurier’s bibliography for inspiration having done so some twenty years earlier in arguably his first success in Hollywood, Rebecca. That film would go on to receive Best Picture Academy Award, but notably had Producer David O. Selznick’s fingerprints all over the production’s end result. By 1963 however, Hitch had firmly established himself as a prominent actor in the Golden Hills with a style remarkably his own and riding on the crest of the success of Psycho.

The Birds, a short story, would be given a face lift from the small Cornish town from which it was initially set, being transported to north of San Francisco and the idyllic Bodega Bay (a place and region that Hitch fell in love with).

Looking back at this film at the time of writing to celebrate its 60th Anniversary, there are obvious flaws that come to light when contrasted with Jaws. Namely, depth of character, which has often been criticised towards the screenwriter, Evan Hunter, but to do so would be to neglect the Hitchcock style and direct precision choices made by the auteur. The Birds is the epitome of style over substance. 

We initially follow Melanie Daniels (Tippi Hedren), the depiction of Hitchcock Blonde captured on screen, the perfect mould for him to carve out his vision of the “statuesque blonde with a cool, sophisticated manner”. The scene is set in San Francisco as we witness her enter a pet store and encounter the brash, machismo Mitch Brenner (Rod Taylor) and a cool-yet-flirtatious dialogue sparks between them. Enough to encourage Daniels to buy lovebirds and drive off to his hometown of Bodega Bay to give his younger sister Cathy (Veronica Cartwright – yes, that Veronica Cartright) as a birthday present. As you do. All this foolish foreplay is a facade and symbolic of the complacency that is created in humanity. It serves as the true horror lurking in the clouds and the menace that hangs in the air – The Birds. After all, as Hitch put it, The Birds are the stars. Hitch was the king of suspense, and this is what he plays with, delicately enticing the fear to come to the audience in strong steady beats, starting with the one swooping gull attack Melanie Daniels head, then the attack on the farm, which leads Mitch’s mother, Lydia (the magnificent Jessica Tandy to play the overbearing matriarch) to discover the bloodied remains of a local farmer. This scene is also the only real gory sequence shot, the rest, by design, leads the audience to fill in the gaps. 

The film would be iconised by two particular sequences, the school attack as birds descend on the children trying to escape. And the moment that Melanie gets trapped inside the attic with the feathered frenzy in an isolated environment. That’s not to forget the carnage that escalates outside the town eatery, when a further attack ensues, following a weighty dialogue sequence where local townsfolk try to unpack the cause of the bird attacks. The real moment of despair would be in the picture’s final sequence as a traumatised Daniels has been reduced to her core, escorted away in her car with Mitch and his family surrounded by a sea of birds, never knowing when the next strike will come, if it all. This ambiguous ending, one that is echoed from the source novel, left a lot of moviegoers bewildered, but for me, it’s the killer stroke deliberately left hanging in the air that hits strong and true. 

By flipping the perspective of caged birds to caged humans, hiding in fear of predators, seeking protecting behind fimble walls, and also leading to an unknown conclusion and embracing the exterior, the audience are also thrust into the wilderness with a faint sign of hope to lead the way.

  • Saul Muerte

 1 Counts, K. B. (1980). The Making of Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds. Cinemafantastique, 10, 15-35.