A Film Analysis of

The Birds

Directed by Alfred Hitchcock



After watching Alfred Hitchcock's 1963 film adaptation of The Birds, you
will express your opinion about it by writing a film analysis essay. The
following questions will help you in your critical evaluation for your
assigned essay. You will need to view the film with these questions in mind.
Completed questions will be due on Monday March 21 for a quiz grade:

BACKGROUND
Who is the writer of the film? Has the screenplay been adapted from another work?

Who is the director?

When was the film made?

STRUCTURE / FORM
What does the title mean in relation to the film as a whole?

How are the opening credits presented? Do they relate to meaning?


How does the film start and why?


Are there any motifs (scenes, images, dialogue) repeated? What purpose do they serve?



What scene(s) contain the storys exposition?



What three or four sequences are most important in showing the storys conflict and rising
action? Why?



Is sound used in any vivid ways either to enhance the film? (i.e. Enhance drama, heighten
tension, disorient the viewer, etc.)



How does the film use light/dark to suggest tone and mood in different scenes?


Are there any striking uses of perspective (seeing through a character's eyes) or camera angles,
etc.? (Explain their effect on the scene and the scenes meaning)


What other special effects does the director use? Why?


How and when are scenes cut? Are there any patterns in the way the cuts function? What is the
effect created?


What specific scene constitutes the film's climax? How does this scene resolve the central issue
of the film?


Discuss the films denouement. Does the film leave any loose ends? If so, what does it suggest?


Why does the film conclude on this particular image?

List four specific techniques the director used to create suspense in the film.
1.
2.
3.
4.

THEME
What issues or questions are raised by the film?


Does the film present a clear point-of-view on these issues/questions? How?


Are there any aspects of these questions which are left unanswered at the end? Why?


What do you feel is the main message presented in the film as a whole?

CAST- Discuss the quality of each actors/actresss performance in the following roles:
Rod Taylor (Mitch Brenner)

Tippi Hedren (Melanie Daniels)

Jessica Tandy (Lydia Brenner)

Suzanne Pleshette (Annie Hayworth) -

Veronica Cartwright (Cathy Brenner) -
FILM ANALYSIS TERMINOLOGY
Shots
Long Shot Overall view from a distance of whole scene. Person: shows whole body.
Establishing Shot long shot used to set the scene at the beginning of a film
Medium or Mid Shot Middle distance shot - can give background information while still focusing on
subject. Person: usually shows a person waist to head.
Close Up Focuses on detail / expression / reaction. Person - shows either head or head/shoulders.
Tracking Shot single continuous shot made with a camera moving along the ground
Reverse Shot shot taken at a 180 degree angle from the preceding shot
Subjective Shot (P.O.V. Shot) Framed from a particular character's point of view. Audience sees what
character sees.
Depth of Field The area within which objects are in focus
o a largedepth of field allows a great range of objects to be in focus simultaneously
o a shallowdepth of field offers a limited focus on one area/object
Soft Focus A slightly blurred effect achieved by using a special filter or lens, or by shooting with a
normal lens slightly out of focus.
Swish Pan A quick pan from one position to another caused by spinning the camera on its vertical axis
and resulting in a blurring of details between the two points.
Flash-Frame A shot lasting only a few frames; the shortness of a flash-frame makes its content difficult
to assimilate. When many flash-frames follow each other, they create a feeling of intense action and often
visually resemble the effects of stroboscopic light.
Intercutting The alternation between actions taking place at two distinct locations to make one
composite scene. For example, cutting between two people involved in the same telephone conversation.
Camera Movement
Pan Camera moves from side to side from a stationary position
Tilt Shot A shot taken by angling a stationary camera up (tilt-up) or down (tilt-down).
Tracking The camera moves to follow a moving object or person
Camera Angles
Low Angle Camera shoots up at subject. Used to increase size, power, status of subject
High Angle Camera shoots down at subject. Used to increase vulnerability, powerlessness, decrease size
Editing (The process of splicing individual shots together into a complete film)
Cut The ending of a shot. If the cut seems inconsistent with the next shot, it is called a jump cut.
Fade in or out The image appears or disappears gradually. Often used as a division between scenes.
Dissolve One image fades in while another fades out so that for a few seconds, the two are superimposed.
Sequence A structural unit of a film using time, location, or some pattern to link together a number of
scenes.
Sound
Soundtrack Consists of dialogue, sound effects and music. Should reveal something about the scene that
visual images don't.
Score specifically the background music of a film (which is generally categorically separated from songs
used within a film).
Sound effects all sounds that are neither dialogue nor music
Voice-over spoken words laid over the other tracks in sound mix to comment upon the narrative or to
narrate
MOS Any segment of film taken without sound. (The letters MOS come from early foreign directors who
wanted pictures taken "mit out sound.")
Lighting
Fill Light Light used to control shadows by "filling in" certain dark areas.
High-Key Lighting light brilliantly illuminates a set
Low-Key Lighting light provides dim lighting, usually with heavy, dark shadows.
FILM ANALYSIS ESSAY OUTLINE
Using the answers to your film analysis questions, type the following essay and submit your
final draft to Turnitin.com before 11:59 pm, Sunday, March 13
th
: (Major Grade)
Paragraph 1 (10 pts): Introduction Start with a good hook, and then present the films title
and director and overall tone and mood. End with a thesis statement the presents the films
theme.
Paragraph 2 (15 pts): Summarize the plot of the film Discuss the exposition, the climax and
resolution, and the denouement.
Paragraph 3 (15 pts): Evaluate the actors portrayals of key character roles. Did they
successfully play their parts and support the overall theme of the story? Give specific examples.
and details
Paragraph 4 (20 pts): Evaluate the film techniques in lighting, editing and camera angles/shots.
How did they affect the setting and mood of the film and build suspense? Evaluate the film
techniques in sound and music. How did affect the setting and mood of the film and build
suspense? Explain how all of these techniques support the movies theme?
Paragraph 5 (15pts): Evaluate the directors and writers use of symbolism, motifs and literary
devices in the film to support the films theme.
Paragraph 6 (10pts): ConclusionDid you enjoy the film? Was the films ending satisfying, or
did it leave you with unanswered questions? Explain. Would you recommend the film? Why or
why not. End with your final thoughts on the movies theme
Conventions (10pts): Correct Punctuation, Spelling, Capitalization & Grammar
Page Formatting (5pts): Correct Heading & Title, Double-spaced 12 pt Times New Roman, 1
Margins, Indent Paragraphs