The Birds

I really like Hitchcock, but I never understood the enthusiasm around this film by the Master of Suspense. It's not one of his worst, but there are plenty (read dozens) of much better films in his oeuvre. The big problem is that technically it has become somewhat outdated - which wouldn't matter if it had an atmosphere to disguise it. Unfortunately, there is not a shred of it in The Birds; and in its essence, it is almost offensive to the ingenious chamber atmospheric original story (yes, I adore Daphne). And thus even the infinitely charming Tippi Hedren cannot save it. (12/01/2007)

The Birds is still as sensational as I remembered it, a joy to behold. Perhaps what I admire most is the gradual building of the atmosphere and how smoothly the film moves from an interesting relationship drama full of likeable characters to a fierce thriller with a fight for life. Each scene with the birds is not only incredibly suspenseful, but also even more suspenseful than the last, so that the amazingly chilling attack on the schoolchildren is trumped within minutes by the "pterocalypse" in the city, which is later surpassed by the multiple horror finale in the house. The technical aspects of the film are still extremely impressive, and if it strikes anyone as dated, then please let it be - I continue to find The Birds terrifying and probably always will. (27/04/2016)

Considering when it was made, the special effects are absolutely excellent. Hitch did a good job and how he builds up the atmosphere, layer after layer, from one attack to another, is genius. Never a dull moment, even before the feathered actors arrive on the scene. The very nicely constructed, relatively untraditional courting storyline is amusing and captures your attention. If only all directors and screen play writers also dedicated such care to their projects these days. (02/01/2011)

The horror passages are truly chilling and excellently filmed, but we wait an awfully long time for them. The meticulous character study in the first half only works at first, but gradually Hitchcock falls into stereotype, and as the wait for "something" drags on, boredom slowly creeps in, which is the first time this has happened to me in his films. Regardless, The Birds is still incredibly well-crafted for its time, from the patient direction and sober script to the superb editing and eccentric use of colour, and it's hard to imagine a remake ever challenging its refinement in the future. Hitchcock may have made better stuff, but the same can be said for Spielberg and his Jaws – even that one is now seen as a major cult classic. 75% (29/04/2013)

Hitchcock's classic is not ageless, rather the opposite. Each time you watch it, you can see how it is falling apart and losing out, leaving a few really masterful scenes and a lot of conversational improvisation that fades out into nothingness. But two things still keeps The Birds afloat – the director's unique talent for suspense, composition and sensitive "staring" and the fact that this film was quite possibly one of the best horrors in the first and later flurry of animal killers. Unlike the real Hitchcockian peaks, however, the film visibly loses breath and gains more awkwardness and boredom over the years. The master simply has brighter films that don't fade. (19/12/2004)