THE BIRDS
(1963; d. Alfred Hitchcock, w. Evan Hunter)

Rich Melanie Daniels (opposite Psycho’s struggling Marion Crane) appears from behind bus as out of thin air (psychic agent materialized to perform function; grounded, vs. MC’s skyscraper-Olympus intro), recently back from European fling (her O-rigin) + determined to establish new, meaningful life; birds – traditional symbol of soul (à la Psyche) – attacking her externalization of internal conflict: beset by own conscience, her distorted reputation (unresolved self-image) following her from Rome (due to rival to newspaperman father’s gossip pages: the conscience itself, elders’ dispute in heaven/unconscious affecting life on earth/conscious activity) hurdle of own frivolous past around same time Hitchcock trying to establish rep as serious artist.

Goes to pet shop to pick up mynah bird w/ which to taunt aunt (bird’s parroting Mel’s shocking cues "echo" of her practical-joke past not yet shaken), ends up w/ lovebirds (eros solution to narcissistic self-interest) on mtg unfamiliar lawyer (estranged conscience) Mitch Brenner, who knows her from recent suit involving broken-glass gag (Mel shattering received perceptions à la birds – Brit equivalent of "chicks" – flying into windows + going for eyes).

Trip to also-unfamiliar Bodega Bay entering dreamworld (from which Mitch hails, arising into Frisco/consciousness to "work"/signal change) where plays out wish-fulfillment diminution of her troublesome ego (mute + dissheveled in end [blueprint for Texas Chain Saw Massacre]: breakdown of all characters’ arch + studied aloofness), sneaking into house (mind) while Mitch in barn (body: boyish preoccupation w/ the physical) to leave cage planting seed of romance in oedipal man’s subconscious (living w/ mother + 20-yrs-younger sister as father, calling mum "dear" + "darling"), ripping up rebuke to him in favor of card to 12-yr-old Cathy (latter redemptive inclusion to Bates-family scenario: potential for renewal in face of recently deceased father/God’s absence) abandoning fight w/ conscience in favor of nurturing budding potential; strike by gull on returning to dock signal that transformative journey not down Easy St, as she is accustomed.

Eyed suspiciously by mother Lydia B (own, also estranged, adult self-img in absence of real abandoning mother), on son’s dinner invitation (he difficult, "own-self" conscience introducing mother’s "M.D." cure, as well), as earlier by Mitch ex-, earthy schoolteacher Annie Hayworth (same initials as dir: aloof, secretive supervisor [students actors; cf scene where she instructs them on escape + dir’s famous "cattle" analogy], both w/ tale to tell), mother also having a priori knowledge of Melanie (she + son godlike inhabitants of Olympus-on-Earth); takes room in Annie’s home (compartmentalized, in mother’s mind, w/ other past threat to her relationship w/ son, Annie’s lodging adjacent to schoolyard à la Bates House/motel, their conversation similar to Norman B + Marion C’s), whom she claims as college friend (dual learning-association: creating bond w/ mythical, chthonic "teacher" [Mel's real-ization of own actual attempts in same capacity financing xchg student] in order to advance education) + who fills her in on Mitch-past (oracle, detached from conscience but remaining nearby: the understanding which must attend insight) involving mother’s alleged possessiveness (hold of own absent mom on Mel’s life/happiness, true love occurring when 2 people’s lives/stories interconnect).

Attends Cathy’s birthday party next day, where describing mother’s abandonment atop Olympian hill summons flocks of birds (wmn as force of nature, she center of own Tempest) which next day flood house (subconscious emanation bringing plague of nature into stern, overcivilized Lydia’s world, synthetic screeches meaning not real birds); Lydia, troubled that chickens not eating (disturbance based on deprivation [husband’s loss]: own rejection of nourishment), finds fellow farmer’s eyes pecked out (own blindness; Oedipal lack of in-sight) + Melanie, after caring for her (establishing rapport w/ senex, or mature self-img), attacked w/ schoolchildren on collecting Cathy (pain of learning + growing, as in birthday siege).

At tavern w/ aged ornithologist (à la know-nothing Psycho-logist: Lydia + Mel’s butch [despite "Mrs" moniker] future-self w/o sexual validation [also, lesbian as repressed or alternate self; note dir’s regular employment of gay actors in prominent roles, from John Gielgud, Rbt Walker, Monty Clift, Cary Grant + Tony Perkins to Charles Laughton, Farley Granger, Marlene Dietrich + Tallulah Bankhead]), apocalyptic drunk (the auto-obliviating old-self]), straight-talking sailor (rational consciousness), vindictive salesman-type (dream-censor, spiteful of "dirty scavenger" winds of chg which clear away mental debris) – who immolates self at climax of sequence – and accusatory mother-of-two (unfulfilled maternal potential for unmarried 32-yr-old Mel; all transients, as jetset M: impermanent figures arisen to resolve problem) moderated by openminded bartender/owner: dream-intoxicated mind in colloquy w/ various facets of self to discourse on issue soon to envelop city/ego, birds gathering above conflagration nature biding time while man destroys self.

On way home, Annie found dead, eyes gouged (killed by own vision: teacher-self eliminated while/for protecting children à la café-mom [Mel/Mitch protecting own childhood]; also, dir’s removal of conscious-self [à la recently deceased censor-salesman] to let unconscious imperatives play out) + Cathy at her window (trapped in vision-shock); Mitch boards up windows on own house (isolationism – blinding self at time of Cuban Missile Crisis, w/ its similar threat of projectiles from above [Hitchcock’s alien invasion film], salesman’s urging that they round up + shoot all birds à la Commies – + mind preparing to w/draw in sleep, à la trad downed phone lines).

As family hunkers dwn, lights go out (descending into deeper level of dream) + all but Mel sleep, she unconscious agent sent to investigate fluttering in Cathy’s room upstairs (disquiet in preadolescent mind); film’s focal point her attack there (return to archaic scene, breaking down self in order to rebuild; AH’s famous edict to "torture the wmn" dir playing on passive audience’s weaknesses), orgasmic cries death of independence on abandonment to nature (pubescent Cathy’s future, Mom+Mitch substituting for absent mom+dad in order to provide mirror into maturity), her rescue by others re-entering family life.

Escape thru hordes of birds (the darkening at dawn) goddess brought to earth now negotiating danger-fraught "real" world, last words "No – no" on destroyed deb’s "coming out" ameliorated by young Cathy’s request to bring innocent lovebirds in car: keeping part of menace inside (like vaccine) will provide passage thru it.

Opening montage of birds tearing away titles effect of nature on civilization, words as both expression + defense against instinct; replayed in mostly wordless (+ music-free) attack sequences, characters’ actions similarly tearing thru arch, coy + deceptive repartée to demonstrate real affections (what teacher AH, apparently, cdn’t effect).