Media Studies: The Birds

The Birds Review

"The Birds" is a thriller, released in 1963, that is directed by Alfred Hitchcock. It is a film that is based in a place called Bodega Bay. In the film, the town is over-run with birds that are trying to kill the locals. A woman named Melanie Daniels comes to Bodega Bay to leave two love birds at the home of a man, presumably her lover. As she rides across the bay she is struck in the face by a flying seagull, drawing blood from her forehead. This is the first clue as to how violent birds are somewhere in the plot of the film. This is the catalyst for the rest of the film. We see throughout the film the different viscous attacks that are launched on the people of Bodega Bay. For instance, when the woman goes searching for her friend in his house and finds his corpse sitting with his back to the wall and his eyes have been pecked out. This is a gory scene and an important one too. It is here that we are given a warning about how violent and dangerous the birds are and that they shouldn't be trusted. We see the actual violence of the birds countless times throughout the film. We see the birds attack the town when there are a few people talking to Melanie Daniels in the cafe. A ferocious bombardment of birds begins and everyone is suddenly found outside in danger. There are a few injuries sustained and undoubtedly a few deaths that occur. A petrol station across the road blows up when a man lights his cigarette after the birds had spilt a lot of petrol a few minutes earlier. This then causes plenty more commotion as the birds all fly over head and plummet down onto the petrified people of Bodega Bay. The mayhem that is brought upon the town is too much for everyone and one lady points the finger at Melanie Daniels as who should be blamed for the birds bringing chaos upon the town. The last scene that we see is where Melanie, her "lover" Mitch, his daughter Cathy, and his mother Lydia all leave the town. Melanie is escorted to the car by Mitch and Lydia while she is heavily shell-shocked from her earlier attack by the birds in the attic. 

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