The influence of Alfred Hitchcock can be felt throughout The Birds, and is most evident in the ways he builds tension and portrays the danger of the birds through a variety of visual effects. At the time of production, The Birds was the most expensive film Hitchcock had made. Principal photography began in August 1961 and the film would not be released until the spring of 1963. This was an unusually long production schedule for a Hitchcock film and was primarily due to the difficulties of creating convincing and terrifying visual effects involving birds. By the time the film hit theaters, it would require 371 special effect shots. Although the visual effects are an important component of the film, it may be argued that Hitchcock’s most effective influence on the audience’s emotional response occurs in the form of the film’s audio.
In The Birds we see much of what can be considered classic “Hitchcockian” style, which relies on unique filming techniques and editing to create a suspenseful and thrilling film, rather than particularly dramatic dialogue or acting. In The Birds, he uses oblique camera angles (a signature of his style) that draw out the menacing nature of the birds and give a sense of the power dynamics between the birds and their victims. He also frequently shoots from the perspective of his characters, and these angles therefore often represent the point of view of humans looking up at birds or of birds looking down at humans. Additionally, during the attacks, he uses rapid cuts, tracking shots, and close ups to disorient the viewer and convey a sense of panic.
The Birds diverges from previous Hitchcock films in a number of ways as well. No explanation for why the birds have decided to attack humans is ever even hinted at. Just as important is the absence of a memorable musical score. In most Hitchcock films, the musical score is an essential part of the film. Think, for example, of Psycho, the film Hitchock made right before The Birds: the tense violin stabs in the shower scene are as important as the skewed camera angles to the almost unbearable tension of the scene. But The Birds has no real musical score. Instead, an ominous silence reigns throughout. This choice works within this particular context than in other films: the lack of a score contributes to the overall impression of nature having taken control. Because actual, environmental sounds and electronically created sounds are the only audio besides dialogue, the world of the film seems more primitive. It also allows the viewers’ emotional response to be directed primarily toward the visuals of the film, which Hitchcock emphasized through elaborate special effects. The bird attacks are most frightening, but one of the most striking images is the final one: thousands of birds are perched patiently without attacking, occupying the entire frame, as the car carrying the terrified family leaves the island. This eerily calm but tense image has been built up throughout the entire film thanks to the unexplained, vague sense of uneasiness stimulated by the sound of birds that replace a soundtrack.
