Hitchcock’s macabre classic finally gets its due on this DVD Collector’s Edition. The film, which by turns thrills (the various bird attacks) and amuses (the frequently bantering dialogue), is presented in all its widescreen glory — an vital consideration for Hitchcock enthusiasts, given the director’s meticulous planning of his films’ visual compositions. “The Birds” features some substantial cinematography, a nerve-wracking soundtrack, and some finely wrought performances (particularly those of Jessica Tandy, Suzanne Pleshette and Ethel Griffies) ; all are well-served by the film-to-DVD transfer. There are a wealth of bonus features, including newsreel footage of Hitchcock and Hedren publicizing the film, an extensive stills gallery, and a intriguing leisurely the scenes production documentary. Especially involving are the ad-libbed conceal test clips pairing Hedren with “Psycho” player Martin Balsam while Hitchcock provides verbal instructions off-camera! All in all, a most welcome addition to my DVD collection, and one I’m delighted to recommend for yours.
Alfred Hitchcock apparently spent the better section of two years trying to gather subject matter that he felt would be righteous of a follow up film after 1960’s PSYCHO. He bought Daphne duMaurier’s short memoir, “The Birds”, and very expeditiously decided that he would only keep the title, and the bird attack region point. Evan Hunter and Hitchcock crafted the screenplay structure, and after a staggering amount of technical pre-production, Hitchcock made THE BIRDS. It opened to tremendous acclaim from the public, if not critics, and is one of the master of suspense’s best remembered pictures. As it should be. And with the glowing current DVD edition, this terrific movie at last gets the home video treatment it so richly deserves.
The transfer is immaculately moving and certain, letterboxed at the 1.85:1 ratio extinct for theatrical exhibition, and the mono digital sound is smart and vibrant. The letterboxing actually gives the film more breathing room, and some of the sequences, especially the complex technical passages such as the attack on the school, and the spectacular attack on the town, have a visceral punch that’s ratcheted up by the clarity of the digital image and sound. Don’t be build off by the many sodium process shots that were necessitated by the demands of the screenplay; they are perfectly gash into the film, and give the movie a archaic realism that is perfectly in keeping with Hitchcock’s stylized thought of reality. His films are all designed within an stride of their lives, and the audience is all the better for it.
The extras on this collector’s edition are quite notable. A featurette entitled “All About The Birds” presents interviews with actors Tippi Hedren, Rod Taylor, Veronica Cartwright, along with various technical personnel, and is attractive and paunchy of information about the film’s production. Also featured are Tippi’s conceal test, production notes, a trailer, and web links. This is one package that beautifully showcases a film which gets better each time you notice it.
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Alex Ellis