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| A poster advertising the 1963 thriller |
In the opening titles, there are birds on a white background flying in a chaotic manor to show the savage personality of the birds and instantly introducing us to our antagonist. This is then continued when an establishing shot of the area shows birds, spiraling above the protagonist. The antagonist appearing in the protagonists everyday life creates suspense as it makes the audience wonder why the antagonist does not commit a crime straight away, instead it is just a minor character in the protagonist's life, for now. This creates a sense of suspense within our story, building us up to a climax. This makes the truth about our feathered antagonists even more of a surprise to the audience, despite the film's simplistic title.
The narrative of the film opening is mostly based around the social issues the characters face. The birds themselves continue to appear and perform strange actions, however they go unnoticed by the characters for quite sometime. This intrigues the viewer as the audience are let into a false sense of security. We are lead to feel as if the story is more about the female heroines mission to win over the good-looking male hero, thus shocking the audience as the birds become more and more aggressive towards humans.
Conventions in this classic follow many of the typical thriller conventions. Its slow pace of editing creates a sense of mystery that many modern day films use today. The complete lack of a soundtrack makes the film seem more real and takes us out of our comfort zone, forcing us to take interest in the events of the story. The film as a whole forces us to ask questions, only to have them unanswered. This leaves the audience intrigued after watching it. It creates a fear of the unknown and has a profound effect on the viewer, which is the most important factor in thriller films. Not to leave a viewer feeling entertained after watching, but to leave a lasting impact of emotion.
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