Love in Hitchcock's Film "The Birds"

Exposé Écrit pour un Séminaire / Cours , 2005 , 18 Pages , Note: 2,7

Philologie Anglaise - Littérature

In these times badmouthing about other people and playing tricks on them is the order of the day. Being intimidated and embarrassed has become normal and unspectacular. People, who act really kind, are rare and if they do, the person they are acting nicely towards, is irritated. It seems like we have lost the ability to give and accept love and that superficiality and coolness are spread more and more.
The same instances seem to have occurred more than 40 years ago, when Hitchcock was working on his brilliant film “The Birds”. Within the following I am going to reveal, how love or a lack of love utters in Hitchcock’s “The Birds” and what it leads to in case of the three characters Annie, Lydia and Melanie. Furthermore I will show what role birds play in this context. To better be able to analyse the film I have divided it into chapters, as does the DVD. The exact division can be seen in the appendix.

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• Introduction
• Love in Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds"
  • Alfred Hitchcock - A short biography
  • Hitchcock's Film "The Birds"
    • Facts and plot
    • Subject matter: Interpersonal relationships
      • "Das innere Sehen"
      • "Three needy women"
        • Annie
        • Lydia
        • Melanie
      • The role of the birds
        • The attacking birds
        • The lovebirds
  • Conclusion
  • Works consulted
    • List of films
    • List of literature
  • Appendix - Division of the Film into chapters

  Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

  The main objective of this work is to analyze how love, or the lack thereof, is expressed in Alfred Hitchcock's film "The Birds" and how it impacts the three main characters, Annie, Lydia, and Melanie. The work will also explore the role of the birds within this context.
  • Interpersonal relationships and their impact on love and jealousy
  • The role of birds in symbolizing societal anxieties and the breakdown of relationships
  • The portrayal of a world driven by superficiality and repressed emotions
  • The connection between societal dysfunction and the violent behavior of nature
  • The complex psychological dynamics within the characters' relationships

  Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

  • Introduction: This chapter sets the stage by highlighting the prevalent superficiality and lack of genuine kindness in contemporary society. It connects this observation to the themes explored in Hitchcock's "The Birds," emphasizing the importance of love and its impact on characters' actions. It also introduces the structure of the analysis, focusing on the roles of Annie, Lydia, and Melanie, as well as the significance of the birds within the film.
  • Love in Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds": This chapter begins by providing a brief biographical overview of Alfred Hitchcock, emphasizing his significance as a director and producer. It then delves into Hitchcock's film "The Birds," outlining its key facts, plot elements, and the film's unique sound design. The chapter then moves into the central theme of interpersonal relationships, exploring how the characters' dynamics and conflicts are intertwined with the increasing bird attacks.
  • Alfred Hitchcock - A short biography: This chapter presents a concise overview of Alfred Hitchcock's life and career, highlighting his early beginnings, his key films, and his accomplishments in the film industry. It touches upon his unique style and his contributions to the development of suspense and horror films.
  • Hitchcock's Film "The Birds": This chapter dives into the details of Hitchcock's film "The Birds," focusing on the film's plot, its unique sound design, and its visual style. It also highlights the contrasting approaches of du Maurier's novel and Hitchcock's film, emphasizing the importance of interpersonal relationships and the bird attacks within Hitchcock's interpretation.
  • Facts and plot: This chapter outlines the key facts about the film, including its production details, the source material, and the absence of a musical score. It explains the specific soundscape created by Oskar Sala's Trautonium and provides a brief account of the film's reception and impact.
  • Subject matter: Interpersonal relationships: This chapter explores the key themes of interpersonal relationships and superficiality in Hitchcock's film. It delves into the characters' dysfunctional relationships, their inability to express genuine emotions, and the consequences of repressed desires and anxieties.

  Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

  The main keywords and focus topics of this text are: Alfred Hitchcock, The Birds, love, jealousy, interpersonal relationships, superficiality, societal anxieties, bird attacks, psychological dynamics, dysfunctional relationships, and the interplay between human emotion and nature.

• Université: University of Trier
• Note: 2,7
• Auteur: Julia Balogh (Auteur)
• Année de publication: 2005
• Pages: 18
• N° de catalogue: V178398
• ISBN (ebook): 9783656003878
• ISBN (Livre): 9783656004134
• Langue: anglais
• mots-clé: love, hitchcock, film, birds