Analysing opening sequences of Thrillers- The Birds

The Birds

Alfred Hitchcock (1963)

*Please note that, upon review, I realised that the video I originally used to write this post for the opening sequence of Birds, had been removed from YouTube, which is what I used to share it with you on this post. I was not able to find another clip of the opening sequence which had the whole two minutes I originally planned to use, therefore I was only able to provide a Hungarian version of this. Please understand that there is a voice-over which informs the Hungarian speaking audiences of the voice actors who made contribution to the translated film. This must be ignored. I apologise for the inconvenience but I have provided a link below for the video on the site: 'Videa'. Alternatively, you may view the first 1:29 minutes of the film without the voice-over below:

*I will be using the first two minutes of this extract from The Birds which includes the opening credits as well as about a minute of the first scene.The use of silhouettes in the opening sequence demonstrates a sense of ambiguity and mystery as to the reason for the birds manic flying which often matches the non-diegetic music playing. Both editing and mise-en-scene is used to create the personalities of the following characters. As well as this, the idea that birds are the cause of this disaster, is a metaphor for natural disasters. The film is purposefully unexplainable; natural disasters are unexplainable. We don't know why they happen, we don't know how to prevent them, nature is the only thing that is able to save us and it's the thing which devised the problem in the first place. The birds represent the helplessness many people feel during a natural disaster, that no matter how hard one tries, no matter how much planning they do before hand, or after, it will occur and one will be forced to accept it as preventing it is completely out of human power.

It is also an interesting fact to note is that the reason for which Hitchcock opted to have the film made in colour (as mentioned in a previous interview), is the simple reason that the birds, which were black and gray, could be differentiated from the people's flesh and skin.

Camera

At the beginning of this extract, there is a pan as the woman crosses the road and walks toward the pet shop door. This is also a long take and allows the audience to observe the environment the woman is in. It is perhaps done to suggest that the woman's personality is quite neat and steady/ calm. The pan is also a good way to imply that her routine is set; every morning, she walks past this way and therefore it goes smoothly, just like this pan does. 

Furthermore, this shot is a long shot which suggests the authority of the woman as a figurehead, perhaps playing an executive role in her job as the audience are forced to see her full self as the first protagonist on set. This also determines her importance as a character in the film and suggests that she's either an antagonist or protagonist, though her costume seems to suggest the latter.

Lastly, a mid shot is used for when the woman is looking around and up at the sky to the birds (at which we follow her gaze with a point of view shot). This mid-shot is significant to make the audience understand her expression and concern for the seemingly strange behavior of the birds. It also implies that the woman will play an important role in combatting the problem of the birds since she is the first person the audience sees to show a sign of concern even though there are many other passers-by who seem to not notice.

Sound

Firstly, the sound used in this extract is used, especially during the opening credits to create a sense of suspense, Hitchcock was known as the 'master' of.  The noise of the different kinds of birds flying around in a sort of panic which opens the sequence is quite distressing. The large number of birds is a terrifying concept, all flying manically without a cause or reason, and the soul sound of just these birds is quite chilling as it implies a take-over; animals taking control over humanity, and the human sense of fear. The noise is also quite confusing, difficult to differentiate the types of birds and perhaps other noises the audience may be looking for and thus raises a kind of panic of understanding.

The sound of the birds continue and a sound bridge occurs between the birds flying and the establishing shot. The sound is then 'drowned' behind the ambient, diegetic sound of busy San Francisco. For an example, the birds carry on beating their wings behind the sound of a bus driving past our protagonist. The presence of the birds is not only a constant reminder that they're still there and they will consistently continue to be there, and everywhere throughout the movie, but also the implication that the birds have been there all along, that the title sequence which we have just seen was just an extreme close up of the low angle, point of view shot the audience experiences like above.

As well as this, sound is also used to help imply that the woman is rather naïve and perhaps unconventional about how women react to misogyny. As she walks past toward the pet shop, someone makes a 'cat call' whistle to which she turns around, confused and then responds with a warm, beautiful smile, contradictory to what one would expect a woman to do in a situation such as this.

Editing

"Alfred Hitchcock", along with the rest of the credits, appear in bits and pieces of a teal blue serif font. This is perhaps done to foreshadow the bits and pieces this disaster (which the birds create) leaves behind, quite literally, many of the characters being left in mauled parts. The colour is also quite cold and seems meek, similar to the window of hope people may experience out of this problem.

Furthermore, the birds being the background to the credits create a jarred, irritating effect, matching the way the manic birds are seen; irritating and confusing to the eye.

Lastly, there is a long take from 1:43 to 2:06 of the woman walking across the road and looking up, after which there is an abrupt straight cut to the point of view shot of the birds flying in the sky as they did in the close up throughout the credits. The cut is directly contrasting to the long take to cause an obvious shock inconspicuously, perhaps reflecting the danger that's stirring without people realising; the idea that one day, though the situation may seem only eerie, it will suddenly and abruptly erupt.

Mise-en-scene

Linking to my second point in the editing section, is the black birds (resembling crows) being used as a backdrop to the credits which leave the audience very unsettled. The colour black also creates a sense of claustrophobia as the birds seem to sometimes cover the screen entirely and could be done to reflect some scenes in the rest of the film, where the birds seem to cover everything and leave the characters feeling defenceless as a result; therefore this helps the audience relate themselves better to the feelings of the characters and allows themselves to be emerced into the thriller, causing a greater taste for adrenaline thrillers are typically known for bringing out of a person.

Additionally, there's occasionally juxtaposition between the birds covering the entire screen and hardly being in the frame at all to create more confusion and the feeling that the birds are in a random order, suggesting that there is no real pattern or reason for which the birds are behaving in this way.

Lastly, this opening scene is under a level of low-key lighting which produces a strange effect where it seems almost foggy yet some colours come across as vibrant. The foggy aspect could possibly imply pollution and the vibrancy of the plants in the background of the long shot at the beginning of the film shows off the wealth of this part of the city. The 1960s were also the peak years in which coloured film was really being produced therefore it was worthwhile to showcase this and make this film very popular.

Order of Credits

Universal Pictures Presents

Alfred Hitchcock's

The Birds From the story by Daphne DuMaurier

Starring Rod Taylor

Jessica Tandy/ Suzanne Pleshette

And Introducing 'Tippi' Hedren

Co-Starring Veronica Cartwright/ Ethel Griffies/ Charles McGraw

With Ruth McDevitt/ Lonny Chapman/ Joe Mantell/ Doodles Weaver/ Malcom Atterbury/ John McGovern/ Karl Swenson/ Richard Deacon/ Elizabeth Wilson/ William Quinn and Doreen Lang

Director of Photography Robert Burks, A.S.C.

Production Designed by Robert Boyle

Assistant Director James H. Brown

Miss Hedren's Costumes Designed by Edith Head

Edited by George Tomasini, A.C.E./ Production manager Norman Deming/ Special Photographic advisor Lib Iwerks, A.S.C./ Special effects Lawrence A. Hampton/ Pictoral designs Albert Whitlock/ Sound recording Waldon O.Watson/ and William Russell/ Makeup Howard Smit, S.M.A./ Hair stylist Virginia Darcy, C.H.S.

Assistant to Mr. Hitchcock Peggy Robertson/ Set Decoration George Milo/ Script supervisor Lois Thurman/ Wardrobe supervisor Rita Riggs/ Trainer of the Birds Ray Berwick/ Titles by James S. Pollak

Electronic sound production and Composition by Remi Gassmann and Oskar Sala/ sound consultant Bernard Herrmann/ Colour by Technicolor

Screenplay by Evan Hunter

Directed by Alfred Hitchcock