The Birds movie review
The Birds movie credits:
Directed by: Alfred Hitchcock
Written by: Daphne Du Maurier (story) and Evan Hunter (screenplay)
Cast:
Rod Taylor (Mitch Brenner)
Suzanne Pleshette (Annie Hayworth)
Jessica Tandy (Lydia Brenner)
Release date: 1963
Spoiler alert: some crucial elements of the movie are commented in the following review. Be warned!
My bloody rating:
The Birds movie review:
I don't think that I need to introduce the director of this movie. Alfred Hitchcock is well-known for being the "master of suspense" and horror. "The Birds" made in 1963 is the perfect example of why Hitchcock earn that title!
The plot of the movie is secondary here. In fact, the first 20 or 30 minutes are only there to set up the characters of the film. The viewer is also gifted with a couple of clues of what will happen later on!
The cast of the movie is great and every actor is doing an honest job of fighting and running while birds of all sorts are attacking. Once again, the cast is not the main reason why this movie is so enjoyable!
I was personally impressed with many scenes in the movie. Some shots are actually quite amazing considering they were made nearly 50 years ago! Some sequences are even better than most low budget movies made today!
I'm not talking about special effects here. I am impressed by the quality of the camera work and the editing. It made me wonder: what kind of movie would Hitchcock be able to make today if he had access to CGI and all the modern equipment actual filmmakers are using? I bet it would be amazing!
Not that CGI is necessary to create a good movie, but some shots in "The Birds" would probably be more convincing and complex. I don't think that Hitchcock would mind having so many possibilities!
Another great thing about the movie is the quality of the special effects when birds are involved. It's not easy to create a scene with hundreds (if not thousands) of birds in the same shot!
Hitchcock managed to create an ending that is terrifying and extremely... silent! Probably the scariest ending involving any animals in the history of cinema!
The music is also well-used in the movie. In fact, there is not much music throughout the movie, which is a good thing considering that noises made by birds are ten times more chilling than any score!
Hitchcock is able to prove that scenes without any music or sounds can be quite impressive and scary!
"The Birds" is a classic movie that will haunt you for a long time! The lack of answers and the great camera work by Hitchcock are more than enough to entertain you for a couple of hours!
The Birds movie review written by: Martin Berube
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