Along with "Psycho", this is definitive Hitchcock. With no music score, a terrifying tale is spun around a woman (Tippi Hedrin) who pursues a man to his home on the seacoast town of Bodega Bay and immediately birds begin acting strangely. Then violently. She becomes trapped at the home he shares with his dominating mother (a wonderful Jessica Tandy) and his little sister (a young Veronica Cartwright who grew up to be in "Alien"). Mitch (Rod Taylor) is single and is amused by Melanies'(Hedren) phony aloofness to him. But the birds start attacking in frighteningly unexpected mass attacks and everyone starts reevaluating their situations. Truly astonishing bird attacks are realistically done and the film becomes a sort of sci-fi survival story. Is it the end of the world? What is happening? These questions are disturbingly unanswered and the film does not end. Melanie is seriously attacked as the birds have invaded the house and Mitch, his mother and sister have to lead her away to the car and to an unknown future as their surroundings are covered with all manner of birds....waiting to strike again. Just an incredible film and the soundtrack alone of birds flapping and screeching will shred your nerves.
Alfred Hitchcock, Director
The acknowledged master of the thriller genre he virtually invented, Alfred Hitchcock was also a brilliant technician who deftly blended sex, suspense and humor. He began...
