The Birds (1963)

In a small Northern California seaside town, a series of unexplained, escalating bird attacks turns deadly while a wealthy socialite (Tippi Hedren) and an attorney (Rod Taylor) find themselves falling in love and dealing not only with the vicious attacks but his mother's (Jessica Tandy) neurosis. This Alfred Hitchcock classic is one of his greatest achievements. Using the literate Evan Hunter script as a template, Hitchcock goes beyond mere suspense and shock but his intelligent, well written characters are a very part of the fabric, not just filler until the next bird attack. I can't imagine a contemporary horror film (though to call THE BIRDS a horror film seems ludicrous) taking the time and devote to such detailed characterizations. Hitchcock's pacing (aided by George Tomasini's judicious editing), Robert Burks' creative cinematography and the audacious sound design by Oskar Sala and Remi Gassmann (Bernard Herrmann is credited as a sound consultant) all contribute to an extremely consuming build up and one of the bleakest fade outs in film history. The acting ranges from good (Suzanne Pleshette) to superb (Tandy). With Veronica Cartwright and a large cast filled by a gallery of quality character actors like Charles McGraw, Elizabeth Wilson, Joe Mantell, Ethel Griffies, Richard Deacon, Ruth McDevitt, Lonny Chapman, Karl Swenson, Doreen Lang and Malcolm Atterbury.