Film quality: This film began production in 1963. It was one of Albert Hitchcock's most expensive productions. Due to the technology gap between when film was created and the technology available now certain scenes may look dated. This was Tippi Hedren's, who plays Melanie Daniels, first film but her acting skills were not lacking. Not being a particularly gory film it is suitable for ages 10 and up and more suitable for those looking for a supernatural film rather than a horror film. This movie is an excellent example of a film that will not lose charm and character after many, many years.
Character Relationships:
Melanie and Lydia: Rivals, both struggling for the dominant female role in Mitch's life. Mother or wife. Both have abandonment issues. Melanie with her mother, Lydia with her dead husband. Both women try to cover this up with confidence.
Mitch and Cathy: Father and daughter; due to the age gap Mitch became a father figure.
Lydia and Mitch: Lydia relies on Mitch as a husband figure and leader of the family
Melanie and Annie: Rivals, Melanie is Annie’s replacement.
Theme: The struggle between Melanie and all other women in her life; Lydia asserting her dominance over Melanie.
Metaphors:
The larger white schoolhouse: Innocence, where the children are supposed to be protected but are attacked. Melanie’s need for protection from her mother and her mother's failure to provide it.
Annie Hayworth’s mailbox: Red to represent feminism, empty-box. Annie’s lack of partner, Annie lacking Mitch.
The Birds: Women in Melanie’s life and her distrust for them and their distrust for her.
The Birds is a film directed by Albert Hitchcock in 1963. This film was widely popular when it was released as a suspenseful thriller. It has survived the test of time and is still widely watched, this is not because it still terrifies audiences, but because it contains within it a secondary storyline which shall always be relevant. When watching The Birds the story first seen is that of Melanie Daniels a confident Chicago socialite who travels to Bodega Bay to deliver lovebirds to a man named, Mitch Brenner. When she arrives in Bodega Bay she is attacked by a gull after delivering the birds to Mitch. This happens right after Melanie notices Mitch has followed her, or chased her, into town. The second incident with birds is when a gull flies into Annie Hayworth’s door. Annie used to be Mitch’s girlfriend. The attack happens after Melanie gets off the phone with Mitch. A third attack occurs during Cathy’s birthday party. Cathy is Mitch’s younger sister. Before the birds attack Melanie and Mitch are talking on a hill, Melanie reveals that her mother left her when she was younger. A fourth attack happens in town. Prior to the attack Melanie was on her phone with her father speaking of the bird attacks. A woman with her children tells Melanie off for scaring her children. A second woman refuses to believe Melanie, she believes she is an expert on birds and treats Melanie as a child making up stories.
The first story that is noticed is the bird attacks. While watching the film a second or third time a pattern can be seen. Before each attack Melanie comes in conflict with another female. It can be assumed that Melanie’s problems with females arose from her mother's abandonment. The first attack is when Melanie enters the Brenner house without permission. It can be seen as her entering into Lydia’s territory. Lydia is Mitch’s overprotective mother. Melanie and Lydia are opposing forces throughout the film. When Melanie enters into Lydia’s territory she successfully coaxes Mitch away. This attack from the birds can be seen as a backlash from Lydia. The second attack is when a bird flies into Annie Hayworth’s door after she agrees to return to the Brenners. This could be seen as symbolism for Lydia’s disapproval of Melanie’s return. When the birthday party attack is shown, the scene before the birds swoop on the children is a shot of Melanie and Mitch walking down from the hill. Annie looks towards Lydia and Lydia fixes her gaze disapprovingly onto Melanie and Mitch. The next attack happens in town. After the attack Mitch rushes Melanie back inside the diner where she had argued with two women earlier. The woman with her children accuses Melanie of causing the bird attacks, calling her the devil. After each attack Melanie deteriorates and becomes weaker. The final scene in The Birds is Melanie resting her head against Lydia in the back of the car, and Lydia smiling down on her.
The struggle between Melanie and women throughout the film can be seen as the cause for the bird attacks. Melanie was a gorgeous city stranger that came to a small town to take a man. She was met unhappily by Annie and Lydia. One theory is the bird attacks are a metaphor for the women who feel threatened by Melanie’s youth and their jealousy of her. Melanie is guided out of a crowd of birds into her car and Lydia comforts her on the drive back to Chicago. This can be interpreted as Lydia asserting her dominance and driving a weak, beaten Melanie away from her home.
There are more theories for the attacks of the birds and what they represent. The attacks can be interpreted as Melanie losing her confidence, the final scene symbolizes her at her weakest, but it is only at her weakest she is accepted by a symbolic foster-mother, Lydia.
Character Relationships:
Melanie and Lydia: Rivals, both struggling for the dominant female role in Mitch's life. Mother or wife. Both have abandonment issues. Melanie with her mother, Lydia with her dead husband. Both women try to cover this up with confidence.
Mitch and Cathy: Father and daughter; due to the age gap Mitch became a father figure.
Lydia and Mitch: Lydia relies on Mitch as a husband figure and leader of the family
Melanie and Annie: Rivals, Melanie is Annie’s replacement.
Theme: The struggle between Melanie and all other women in her life; Lydia asserting her dominance over Melanie.
Metaphors:
The larger white schoolhouse: Innocence, where the children are supposed to be protected but are attacked. Melanie’s need for protection from her mother and her mother's failure to provide it.
Annie Hayworth’s mailbox: Red to represent feminism, empty-box. Annie’s lack of partner, Annie lacking Mitch.
The Birds: Women in Melanie’s life and her distrust for them and their distrust for her.
The Birds is a film directed by Albert Hitchcock in 1963. This film was widely popular when it was released as a suspenseful thriller. It has survived the test of time and is still widely watched, this is not because it still terrifies audiences, but because it contains within it a secondary storyline which shall always be relevant. When watching The Birds the story first seen is that of Melanie Daniels a confident Chicago socialite who travels to Bodega Bay to deliver lovebirds to a man named, Mitch Brenner. When she arrives in Bodega Bay she is attacked by a gull after delivering the birds to Mitch. This happens right after Melanie notices Mitch has followed her, or chased her, into town. The second incident with birds is when a gull flies into Annie Hayworth’s door. Annie used to be Mitch’s girlfriend. The attack happens after Melanie gets off the phone with Mitch. A third attack occurs during Cathy’s birthday party. Cathy is Mitch’s younger sister. Before the birds attack Melanie and Mitch are talking on a hill, Melanie reveals that her mother left her when she was younger. A fourth attack happens in town. Prior to the attack Melanie was on her phone with her father speaking of the bird attacks. A woman with her children tells Melanie off for scaring her children. A second woman refuses to believe Melanie, she believes she is an expert on birds and treats Melanie as a child making up stories.
The first story that is noticed is the bird attacks. While watching the film a second or third time a pattern can be seen. Before each attack Melanie comes in conflict with another female. It can be assumed that Melanie’s problems with females arose from her mother's abandonment. The first attack is when Melanie enters the Brenner house without permission. It can be seen as her entering into Lydia’s territory. Lydia is Mitch’s overprotective mother. Melanie and Lydia are opposing forces throughout the film. When Melanie enters into Lydia’s territory she successfully coaxes Mitch away. This attack from the birds can be seen as a backlash from Lydia. The second attack is when a bird flies into Annie Hayworth’s door after she agrees to return to the Brenners. This could be seen as symbolism for Lydia’s disapproval of Melanie’s return. When the birthday party attack is shown, the scene before the birds swoop on the children is a shot of Melanie and Mitch walking down from the hill. Annie looks towards Lydia and Lydia fixes her gaze disapprovingly onto Melanie and Mitch. The next attack happens in town. After the attack Mitch rushes Melanie back inside the diner where she had argued with two women earlier. The woman with her children accuses Melanie of causing the bird attacks, calling her the devil. After each attack Melanie deteriorates and becomes weaker. The final scene in The Birds is Melanie resting her head against Lydia in the back of the car, and Lydia smiling down on her.
The struggle between Melanie and women throughout the film can be seen as the cause for the bird attacks. Melanie was a gorgeous city stranger that came to a small town to take a man. She was met unhappily by Annie and Lydia. One theory is the bird attacks are a metaphor for the women who feel threatened by Melanie’s youth and their jealousy of her. Melanie is guided out of a crowd of birds into her car and Lydia comforts her on the drive back to Chicago. This can be interpreted as Lydia asserting her dominance and driving a weak, beaten Melanie away from her home.
There are more theories for the attacks of the birds and what they represent. The attacks can be interpreted as Melanie losing her confidence, the final scene symbolizes her at her weakest, but it is only at her weakest she is accepted by a symbolic foster-mother, Lydia.