As evidenced in Psycho, there is no such thing as a safe haven, be it an intrusion behind a shower curtain, or an invasion into the privacy of one’s home via a chimney-descending cyclone of flurried activity. The film largely focused on Melanie Daniels, a high-flying socialite played by the young Tippi Hedren, although the feathered flock of birds really stole the limelight. The unexplained series of attacks seemed to occur as soon as she arrived in the bay with her gift of lovebirds. An innocent flirtation which promised a blossom of romance had suddenly turned into a very frightening experience. We will never know if the arrival of the birds acted as the catalyst, or if it was an attack on her previously lavish lifestyle. Influenced by the film, AJ Nutter has captured the very essence of the atmosphere Hitchcock so wonderfully created, setting the scene as an alternative soundtrack to the film. Nutter’s love for Hitchcock’s vivid cinematography and the colourful aura his films still possess is clearly evident, and it makes for a highly effective backdrop to the film. The air of menace found in the film is similarly found here, permeating the threatening atmosphere with brooding drones. The imagery the music creates could easily fit with Hitchcock’s clever use of camera positioning, direction and cameos. Nutter’s music carries the similar, foreboding feel throughout, but he remains out of sight unlike the director; it’s very much a dedication to the film and not an indulgent work, and Nutter’s own camera work transitions effectively from the screen to the sound wave, reeling off on the projector of the camera-eye.

​

The rising tension could be cut with a knife, which Hitchcock did so abruptly in the infamous shower scene of Psycho. Striking above all else in The Birds was the lack of any soundtrack, which was critical to the mounting tension. The screeching and cooing of the incoming birds made for their own soundtrack, leaving silent, powerful pecks on the bay. The only fluttering of melody in the film echoed repeatedly out from the schoolhouse, sung by children. The threat was a natural one and the silence reflected this, but Nutter’s soundtrack is just as chilling.

​

                                                                                                                                                                                                    -A Closer Listen