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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (March 2, 1989)
By Lane Van Ham S:aff Reporter Hey, a big haunted hi-de-ho to all of you! It’s the Old Flick Fiend (,nce again with another selection from the Video Vault. “I'm excited about this one - my talons are sweaty with anticipa tion. After the birdbrain who writes this column crows about it for a while, I hope you all leave your nest and rent it. Just remember to dress for the occasion; you'll be in for nasty feather!" 1 w ant to make up for last week’s movie by presenting something that’s actually very worthwhile, \lfred Hitchcock’s “The Birds.” The Birds” was made in 1963 and was Hitchcock’s first work since Psycho” in I960. 1 he story centers around Melanie Daniels (Tippi Iledren), a wealthy young woman from San Francisco who has become at tracted to lawyer Mitch Brenner (Rod Taylor). She tracks down Brenner in a small California town and finds him living with his young Mster and possessive mother, I ydia. It’s an interesting cast, when you throw in a local schoolteacher who used to love Brenner, and it looks like an intense and engaging romance is underway. But gradually all hell breaks loose. We are presented, at various times, w ith the ominous symbol of birds, a gull attacks Melanie, Mitch observes a large group of them outside his house, and one flies into the schoolteacher’s house door (where .Melanie, coinciden tally, is living). Eventually this leads to an all out bird attack on the children at a birthday party for Mitch’s sister. Everyone flees inside the house, but in an amazing scene, dozens of birds invade the house by coming down the chim ney. inis sounds a mile aosuro, or even funny. But with the exception of a couple of instances, it’s done remarkably well and is even fright ening at times. But “The Birds” transcends the basic man vs. invad ers theme for a number of reasons. First of all, it’s evident that the birds are not just there to provide a cheap thrill for the audience. No explanation for their attacks is ever given, nor is one needed. Essentially, the attacks them selves are not important. What is important is what they represent. The birds, I think, can be seen as anything unknown, anything out of the ordinary, that intrudes on our existence. Donald Spoto, in “The Art of Alfred Hitchcock” writes that the film displays Hitch cock’s view of “the universe as a place in which we must always be on guard against imminent disas ter.” Flow we interpret these intru sions is portrayed in a fantastic microcosmic scene when the cus tomers in a town restaurant turn ■ their discussion to the recent inva- i si on. One man says it’s the end of i the world. A bird-lover treats it < scientifically and says it's impos- ; silde to fight them Meanwhile, one ; guy argues we should go out and shoot all of them When the birds ; attack the town, one woman even accuses Melanie of being a witch. The action eventually switches to Mitch’s house, where he, his mother, and Melanie have turned it into a boarded-window fortress against the invaders. At night, Melanie inexplicably goes upstairs to explore a room and finds that it has been penetrated by the birds. This leads to a scene that took a week to shoot, in which Melanie is attacked, repeatedly, by birds thrown at her from off camera I Iedren later called this “the worst week of her life,” after which she took an additional week to recover psychologically from. l‘lhe Birds’ is highly recom mended viewing whether you want to get philosophi cal with it ot not Although Milch rescues Melanie from the attack, she is badly hurl and in need of a hospital. Eventu ally, Milch guides Melanie and the rest out to the car and they drive away without incident. So what does it all mean? It’s a ludicrous concept for invasion, for which no explanation is ever given, and there isn’t much of a resolution either. Although con ceptually similar, it is in every important way the antithesis of another movie I discussed here, “Earth vs. The Flying Saucers.” Quite simply, the birds are not the most important part of this movie — it’s the intrusion they make. The intrusion brings great rami fications on our interactions with each other and the way we view our lives. For instance, there are the characters in the restaurant I previously mentioned. It’s also worthy to note the way in which the birds intensify their attacks as Mitch draws closer to Melanie -- and away from his mother, who fears being alone. Their escape may indicate Lydia’s acceptance, as she nurtures the wounded Melanie in the car. Some have observed, in fact, that “The Birds” should not be viewed as a story with a beginning, middle, and end, but as a poem, more concerned with theme and atmosphere. “The Birds” is highly recom mended viewing, whether you lane Van Ham/ Dally Nebraskan vant to get philosophical with it or lot. It represents a unique cross oads in the Video Vault, where :ritical acceptance and popularity ire not exclusive of the creative ind bizarre. “The Birds’’ should be available it most video rental outlets. - —__-_---. ^ • ’ ■■ --1 551/LB 60(/LB Over 100 * D at - \ fj reTTlgrews / 540:0, - -v i MELISSA ETHERIDGE “Melissa Etheridge” Don't miss Pickles CD Sale. $11.47 for most titles. Many even less. $637 Cass/Lp Sale ends Sunday. $11.47 CD I GPickle,s RECORDS TAPES • COMPACT DISCS 17 th & P • 237 S 70th • 3814 Normal Blvd Nobody sells more music for less. Nobody.