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The Birds (1963) (spoilers for 60 year old movie)
Posted on 10/3/25 at 9:54 am
Posted on 10/3/25 at 9:54 am
Was re-watching this brilliant Hitchcock masterpiece last night. The lack of explanation as to why The Birds are attacking is such a great way to end the film rather than explain away everything like other monster films of that era. HOWEVER upon rewatch I think I kinda figured out why.
Multiple times throughout the film it is speculated and assumed that Tippi Hedren arriving to the town is what caused The Birds to start attacking. I think this is half way true but a misdirect by Hitchcock. Yes the attacks coincided with her arrival to the bay town, but it is not because of her The Birds are attacking. It’s those damn love birds she brought with her.
The love birds are the only birds in the film that don’t go bat shite and try to kill themselves getting out of that cage to attack. They just sit there normal the entire time. It’s even mentioned in passing that the love birds never hurt anybody. As a matter of fact in the end The Birds stop attacking when the characters take the live birds and leave.
For whatever reason, those birds being brought yo that town caused all hell to break lose.
Multiple times throughout the film it is speculated and assumed that Tippi Hedren arriving to the town is what caused The Birds to start attacking. I think this is half way true but a misdirect by Hitchcock. Yes the attacks coincided with her arrival to the bay town, but it is not because of her The Birds are attacking. It’s those damn love birds she brought with her.
The love birds are the only birds in the film that don’t go bat shite and try to kill themselves getting out of that cage to attack. They just sit there normal the entire time. It’s even mentioned in passing that the love birds never hurt anybody. As a matter of fact in the end The Birds stop attacking when the characters take the live birds and leave.
For whatever reason, those birds being brought yo that town caused all hell to break lose.
6
Posted on 10/3/25 at 10:06 am to Godzilla jr
One of my all time favorites. Love this movie so much.
It's loosely based off a Daphne du Maurier story. She's an iconic mystery writer and Hitchcock adapted other books of hers like Rebecca and Jamaica inn. In the du Maurier story there is no explanation for the bird attacks and I don't think she ever gave one.
The love bird explanation is a good one, I never really thought about that one.
I had always thought the mystery of them doing it for no reason other than they just started attacking was what made it so good. The ambiguity is what makes it great imo. Hitchcock did at one point say an explanation would be the birds were wanting to attack people because they took nature for granted. I know that's Hitchcock and his explanation would be the most concrete explanation possible but that kind of just seems to me him saying that as one "possible" explanation. Not saying for sure that was the reason because there is no hint of that in the movie as to that being the case.
It's loosely based off a Daphne du Maurier story. She's an iconic mystery writer and Hitchcock adapted other books of hers like Rebecca and Jamaica inn. In the du Maurier story there is no explanation for the bird attacks and I don't think she ever gave one.
The love bird explanation is a good one, I never really thought about that one.
I had always thought the mystery of them doing it for no reason other than they just started attacking was what made it so good. The ambiguity is what makes it great imo. Hitchcock did at one point say an explanation would be the birds were wanting to attack people because they took nature for granted. I know that's Hitchcock and his explanation would be the most concrete explanation possible but that kind of just seems to me him saying that as one "possible" explanation. Not saying for sure that was the reason because there is no hint of that in the movie as to that being the case.
Posted on 10/3/25 at 10:11 am to Godzilla jr
"If you explain it then you destroy it"
-Alfred Hitchcock when asked why the birds attack.
-Alfred Hitchcock when asked why the birds attack.
Posted on 10/3/25 at 11:08 am to Godzilla jr
The best reason no explanation was ever given is that no explanation would make sense. Any reason they would give would be ridiculous and make the movie worse.
Posted on 10/3/25 at 11:46 am to Godzilla jr
A person actually died on film in this movie. ...and a good portion of it was left in the final film.
Posted on 10/3/25 at 12:42 pm to Godzilla jr
First Hitchcock movie I ever saw. Tippi Hedren is great in this one and in Marnie, she maybe my favorite of the Hitchcock Blondes.
Posted on 10/3/25 at 2:25 pm to Seldom Seen
Posted on 10/3/25 at 2:33 pm to Seldom Seen
Hedren was great but hard not to give that nod to Grace Kelly or Ingrid Bergman.
Posted on 10/3/25 at 7:04 pm to iwyLSUiwy
The only negative of the movie is that Susanne Pleachette's character dies.
Posted on 10/3/25 at 8:40 pm to Godzilla jr
Posted on 10/3/25 at 9:23 pm to iwyLSUiwy
I read the du Maurier short story a couple of times as a kid. I believe it's mostly meant as an allegory for the Blitz during WWII.
For Hitchcock's adaptation, I buy the theory that it's focusing on general themes of nature being taken for granted and control being an illusion, which I think the love birds represent. Basically, life inside the cage doesn't apply to the world outside of it.
You can also extrapolate that idea to Tippi Hedren's character. Melanie is a rich San Francisco socialite who appears to get what she wants. Once she leaves her natural surroundings for Bodega Bay, all hell breaks loose.
For Hitchcock's adaptation, I buy the theory that it's focusing on general themes of nature being taken for granted and control being an illusion, which I think the love birds represent. Basically, life inside the cage doesn't apply to the world outside of it.
You can also extrapolate that idea to Tippi Hedren's character. Melanie is a rich San Francisco socialite who appears to get what she wants. Once she leaves her natural surroundings for Bodega Bay, all hell breaks loose.
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