Hitchcock successfully explores terror, specifically the human feeling of terror when the bizarre & unexplainable happens. Unlike all of his other major films, no conclusion or climax occurs (nor does it need one), just the fearful scene of birds surrounding the house as the car drives away, it's poetic, the calm before the next storm.

When nature turns against you, Hitchcock style!

I can't say this is Hitchcock's best. Many disagree, but the lack of actually threatening birds (or believably realistic ones in certain scenes) robs the film of its tension for me.

A classic, but very dated.

Interesting concept ruined by aggravating, dare I say unlikable, characters with simplistic dialogue. Hedren is just downright annoying. This is one of the few films where I've found myself wishing some of the characters would just shut up. The suspense is lost when Hitchcock keeps having to remind the viewer of events that happened just a few minutes ago. The final few scenes are particularly suspenseful because the characters are finally silent and it's only then that the horror becomes real.

Well crafted, disturbing thriller. The romantic first third of the novie is pretty good too, and brings up themes that become important later.

230

It's as Hitchcock as it can be. ... Supposedly technically advanced, with right amount of tension and narration but underneath all of this there is not much more.