The Birds

Directed byAlfred Hitchcock

By Indigo Hanlon

Introduction

The film the birds is a story of two people in the 1960's who become romantically involved in the San Franciso area. Several flocks of birds provide a subplot.

The story line is about a wealthy young woman (Melanie Daniels played by Tippi Hedren) who meets a man (Mitch Brenner played by Rod Taylor) in a pet shop. As their romance grows the birds start to act strangely. As the movie develops the number of birds dramatically increases and become more and more vicious and gruesome.

why I chose this scene:After a three second shot of a large flock of birds darting around a gloomy sky, the opening scene moves to a well lit pet shop. The opening scene showcases the excellent on-screen chemistry between the two lead characters. It shows them as well dressed, confident and intelligent people exchanging witty and flirtatious conversation before the man makes a quick but stylish exit. There is an air of innocence, something that is lost as the film progresses. This is a good opportunity for the audience to connect with the characters as they are being playful in a relaxed environment.

The obvious attraction between the lead characters makes you forget about the strange birds and completely shifts your focus to the interaction between the two characters. This ideal of love at first sight is something that most people either yearn for or can relate to.

Opening shot (02:08) – flock of birds

Historical and Socio-Cultural ContextThe movie is set in San Fransico in the sixties. At the time San Francisco was the place of the American dream, an idealised view of the world. It was a thriving large modern city. This is a contrast to the rest of the world at the time when there was widespread poverty and war. It would also have been a contrast for most of the audience members going to the movies to escape reality.

The brief opening shot has three billboards in the background all advertising airline companies. In the sixties flying was very expensive so only the wealthy could afford it, hinting that this is a rich neighbourhood.

Setting:The scene is set in an unusual place, in a pet shop. This is a strong contrast to the previous shot of the strange birds gathering outside in a darkened sky. Pets are for playing with which adds to the playful feeling of the flirtatious dialogue. The pet shop also makes you think of children and inoccence and alludes to a childlike quality in Melanie’s character which is confirmed later in the film when we learn of her pranks (like jumping naked into a fountain in Rome). It is ironic that in this opening scene Melanie views a bird as a harmless creature and a suitable gift for a friend - later in the movie she would never do that.

Sound Design and MusicIn general, the film does not use a music soundtrack. The sounds are based on realistic background noises but used to dramatic effect.

In the opening few seconds we hear mainly seagulls calling. Then we hear the noise of cars which brings us back to earth as the camera pans onto Melanie walking into the pet shop.

One of the reasons this scene stood out was because of its sound. In my chosen scene the birds were chirping happily. We are subconsciously comforted by this as birds will only sing when they feel there are no predators around. It immediately gave the pet shop a safe feeling after the crying seagulls. When Mitch mentions lovebirds the background noise of the birds gets louder, emphasising their growing interest in each other. In most of the other scenes the birds were attacking Melanie and Mitch, with screeching bird noises.

Cinematography and Editing:The opening shot is a long shot of the birds peculiarly gathering in the sky. This is the only long shot in the whole scene. Melanie is stood on the right hand corner of the shot out of focus.

Most of the shots throughout the rest of the scene are medium close ups giving the whole scene a more intimate feel for the inside of the pet shop. Most of Hitchcock’s shots lasted quite a long time and the camera moved with the characters. By doing this the scene is very fluid and easy to follow. Because of this the scene has a smooth and natural feel which could also be used to describe both the lead characters: smooth and natural.

However, he does use close ups when the characters are exchanging dialog and when Mitch catches the bird.

A shot that really caught my eye was the escaped canary (top left). Since he only shows the hands it emphasises the impression of the bird being out of reach. Most directors would have shown the reactions or facial expressions of the actors rather than the hands.

Towards the end of the scene there is a point of view shot from Melanie’s point of view reading the licence plate.

The transition between shots is very fluid and unnoticeable to the audience. This is often accomplished by introducing the sound of the next shot earlier on than the shot itself, such as the seagulls fading to traffic sounds and traffic fading to birds chirping.

Costume / Makeup / HairAll of the costumes are period costumes. Melanie is a wealthy upper class daddy’s girl. Her father owns the daily news and she lives off her father’s wealth. Although she is conservatively dressed she still oozes elegance and is very fashionable for her time. Her suited is tailored with a stylish collar and a good fit. She is very sophisticated. She shows this with her hair in a slick updo and subtle makeup that enhances her natural features. Mitch is wearing a tailored, made to fit suit. This indicates that he is attending to business and has money. The way both of the characters are dressed implies that they are educated.

Script/Dialog:The script and its dialogue are refreshingly unpredictable.

“Can I help you with anything?”“Yes, I'm looking for lovebirds”“Well what kind, there are many different varieties?”“I'm looking for a pair of love birds that aren't too demonstrative but that aren't too aloof“

The dialog is quite fast paced and witty suggesting both Melanie and Mitch are intelligent. When Mitch says “I'm looking for a pair of love birds” he is stating want he wants to buy but at the same time could be saying what he is looking for in a partner (not too demonstrative and not too aloof).

Symbolism and Birds:Birds are often used in the script as metaphors or symbolically. The brief opening shot sets the tone for the rest of the film with “Have you ever seen so many gulls? Must be a storm at sea". This already suggests that something is not right and that we don’t know what is going on. Another indicator that there may be something suspicious going on is that Melanie’s bird wasn't delivered on time.

When Melanie accidentally sets the canary free and Mitch catches it this symbolises him gaining control over the situation. As he puts the bird back in its cage he says “Now back in your gilded cage Melanie Daniels” and reveals he knows her true identity and her wealthy background.

Lighting:in the opening shot Melanie looks up to the sky at the birds. The lighting outside is very dark and gloomy. Although the audience is unaware of it this gloomy and mysterious vibe/ lighting will reappear through the film.Once inside the shop the lighting changes, it contrast to the dim grey outside the lighting in the shop is brighter lifting the mood, with a yellow light meaning it is warm. The brighter light also helps show off the beauty of the two main characters.

Special Effects:Hitchcock was - and still is - a celebrated director famous for using techniques which were innovative for his time. Although he used many special effects in his films, the only one used in this scene was in the opening shot. He made it look as if hundreds of birds were gathering in the sky with no apparent reason why.