The Birds: Horrific or Macabre?

For the most part, this blog is going to be a critical analysis of film and film related programming, but occasionally, I will reflect on my encounters with classic film (particularly those that occur as a result of my internship in the Warner Bros. Archives). Hopefully, this gives you a little more insight into the intentions of this blog.

On Wednesday evening, I had the supreme pleasure of attending a TCM screening of The Birds preceded by a talk with Tippi Hedren and Robert Osborne. First, I have to say, that TCM really knows how to host an event and if you ever get the opportunity to attend one of their functions, jump on it! Not only was the screening free, but they gave us comp parking, as well as supplying each ticket holding individual with a free medium soda, tub of popcorn, and box of candy (choices included Junior Mints, Raisinets, and Milk Duds). To cap off this already extraordinarily generous evening, each guest was given their choice of a set of 6 TCM Leading Ladies or Hollywood Musical coasters -- a welcome addition to my future apartment furniture/supplies.

Anyway, aside from the parade of gifts, the screening and discussion were treats in themselves. Tippi Hedren still looked amazing -- every inch the classic stunner she was when she first appeared in The Birds. Her stories may have shown her years, but her looks did not. Robert Osborne was delightful. As his introductions on TCM evidence, he is quite the congenial man. If only he could fit an adjunct post at USC into his busy schedule! Anyway, their discussion about Tippi's work on The Birds and her work since was informative. However, I do wish that they would have covered a little more new ground, as much of what she had to say has been hashed over in numerous writings on The Birds and elucidated in even clearer terms by Dr. Drew Casper of USC. She, of course, mentioned the unwanted attentions of Hitchcock, which after so many years is beginning to become a tired complaint.

Although her discussion with Mr. Osborne was fascinating, it was the audience questions that were the real let down. One woman felt compelled to share her story of her visit to Shambala (Tippi's wildlife preserve) and the two elephants she saw there. I'm sure Ms. Hedren and the rest of the audience were forever changed by this moving story.; ) Additionally, another question inquired as to whether Ms. Hedren could explain the ending of the film and tell us why the birds attacked? I could not help but throw my hands up at this. Hitchcock himself said that the terror of the film largely stems from the fact that there is no clear reason why these birds suddenly attack. Part of the film's status as a Hitchcock masterwork is the ambiguous ending and lack of answers. But apparently, this woman failed to grasp this concept. Indeed, Ms. Hedren herself seemed baffled as to why this question was being asked and attempted to answer the question, while mentioning that she had never received any more explanation than the audience.

As for the film itself, I had only seen it once before this evening, also in 35 mm on a movie screen the way all movies really should be viewed. Although one could say much about the philosophy of the film -- the almost Oedipal nature of Mitch (Rod Taylor) and Lydia's (Jessica Tandy) relationship, the hysterical witch hunts that inexplicable disaster brings, and the question of a "bird-pocalypse" -- audience reactions are perhaps even more fascinating to examine. As a resolute scaredy-cat, this film did not fail to cause me to squirm in my seat and hold my breath each time the feathered fiends launched another attack. However, while I sat transfixed with horror as gulls preyed on innocent children, many of those around me laughed. This puzzled me. Is it merely an example of the fact that many people use laughter to handle tense, uncomfortable situations because they know no other way to cope? Yes, there is a certain macabre humor in some of the attacks, and particularly in the set-up to the attacks (the crows on the jungle gym). Indeed, Hitch himself was a dark man with a twisted sense of humor. His remark that he "always viewed Psycho as a comedy" illustrates that facet of his personality. However, at their core, these things are not funny. Horrific is more like it. But at the same time, I find myself hard-pressed to call any of Hitchcock's work dated. He sought to explore human relationships and illicit visceral reactions by playing on the core of human nature. This is why his work has held up so well. And why films today, particularly thrillers, bear marks of his influence throughout.

Or, does the film seem dated and more comical than frightening? In a world that has seen such horrors as the Vietnam war and 9/11 broadcast into their living rooms, is the idea of attacking birds simply too ridiculous? With PG-13 and R ratings coming to mean even less in our society; where it seems that almost anything is acceptable to display on a screen and words like b***h proliferate network television shows, has The Birds become an irrelevant farce to the majority of our desensitized population? I would like to hope that the answer to this question is no. For those of us who treasure classic film and the evasive creativity the the Production Code necessitated, we must hope that the answer is no. Indeed, I doubt that anyone who devoted their Wednesday evening to this event, would call the film irrelevant. But this smattering of a few hundred people are most likely a select few.

So, then I suppose, the real question at hand, is not whether The Birds is dated in a postmodern, desensitized world (which certainly does hold some truth), but whether Hitchcock intended it to be darkly funny in the first place? How did audiences in the 1960s respond to The Birds? Certainly, in a decade that saw the assassination of JFK, the first televised war, and the upheaval of the Civil Rights movement, the terror in The Birds may have seemed trivial. But in a world that to many seemed to be spiraling out of control, perhaps this inexplicable and unstoppable attack (and even worse, attacks largely levied against innocent children) was the most terrifying prospect of all. The counterculture and its effects on the American psyche, combined with political and social upheaval, probably did seem like the end of the world to some. At any rate, it was certainly an end to an era and certain American viewpoints and values. The simultaneous decline of censorship at this time reflects this shift of attitude, and the visceral nature of the violence within The Birds only reinforces this.

I hope this has perhaps caused you to consider The Birds in a different light and to further point out the need for raising awareness of classic films to prevent further generations from finding them irrelevant. Next time, I'll share my opinion on the Oscar broadcast and winners....Until then, "Here's looking at you kid!"

-Reel Classic Dame

Copyright Maureen Lee Lenker