Creating Horror and Suspense in Hitchcock's Film "The Birds"

Abstract or Introduction

"The Birds", by ‘the master of suspense’ Alfred Hitchcock, was a technical marvel for its time. Made in the 1960's when there were no computers to help making films, Hitchcock pushed the limits of film production, and it was superbly directed. Unsure of whether he would be able to finish shooting the film and later admitting if he had known how difficult it would be to produce, he would not have shot it. The technique behind the production of the film, the well-performing cast and the suspense in this film made it brilliant for the time and still is nowadays. Yet, the film is different than a lot of other productions by Hitchcock. Especially when comparing it to "Psycho", which was released three years prior to "The Birds", there are a lot of differences and some similarities, but in the end, both are iconic thrillers and two of Hitchcock’s most notorious films.

This essay wants to portray what made "The Birds" the film it is and how Hitchcock created suspense and horror. Beforehand the difference between suspense and horror must be explained and afterwards the different topics of the film will be portrayed. The focus of this essay is on the production of the film and how it was perceived at the time made and nowadays.