Movie #91- "The Birds" (1963)

"The Birds" offers definitive proof on why Hitchcock was the "Master of Suspense".  If you take a moment and break the plot down to its basic premise, it's a seemingly ludicrous idea.  Quite simply, birds of all species descend upon a coastal California village, wreaking havoc on the citizens.  That sounds more like a "B-movie" from the 60's than a Hitchcock classic.  Yet with a thrilling script in the highly capable hands of the master, this turns into a suspenseful event.
The film takes time establishing the characters, starting with an innocent encounter between the two leads.  Their meeting in a pet store, discussing of course birds, becomes an inside joke between the two, in which  Tippi Hedren takes to the next level.  Hedren isn't presented as a totally likeable character, but there is complexity behind her demeanor.  She presues a charming Rod Taylor to Bodega Bay, only to cross paths with a former love interest and Taylor's mother.  This gives Hitchcock an opportunity to explore another relationship concerning an overbearing mother and her son (granted, not to the level of the Bates family).  The bird attacks begin slowly, which each attack increasing with intensity in the final half of the film.  This leads to a couple classic Hitchcock scenes including birds descending on a schoolhouse playground and the attack of Hedren in a phone booth.
The bird attack are never really explained in the film and the ending is ambiguous.  That may bother some, but I thought that added to aspect of horror to the proceedings.  And you get so wrapped in the excitement, you fail to realize there is no musical score.  Again, amazing what Hitchcock is able to pull off with a small idea.
Added note: purely coincidence that I watched "The Crow" and "The Birds" on consecutive days.

Rating: 9/10
Movies I've previously seen: 6
First time viewings: 85