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rickscarborough
Reviews
The Birds (1963)
What does it mean?
Why do the birds attack? Despite the warning of the tweed wearing woman in the diner that the birds represent nature rebelling against man's interference, I have my own theory that will change the way you see the movie. The birds represent repressed female sexuality. Think about it and the movie becomes pretty funny. Every time the women in the movie start becoming sexually frustrated, the birds attack. The first attack is when Tippi Hedren has teased Rod by leaving the lovebirds (who, after being given to a prepubescent girl, are the only birds not to attack anybody) and is racing back to the dock while he chases on the road around Bodega Bay. Then, the schoolteacher and Tippi are talking and a bird dies after hitting the door. By the time we get to the oedipal scene with Rod's mother, the birds are bursting from the chimney(Go Freud!). Watch it with this in your head and it confirms what Hitch said after a reporter mentioned that he should do more comedies because "To Catch a Thief" was so funny. He deadpanned, "Young man, all my movies are comedies."
Leap of Faith (1992)
continues the conversation
I'm suprised that none of the movie buffs recognized the references in "Leap of Faith" to a couple of older movies. The scene to start the movie, where Jonas does a "cold read" on the policeman to elude a speeding ticket is lifted from the Tyrone Power movie "Nightmare Alley". Also, there are numerous elements in the movie that seem to continue the conversation from "Elmer Gantry" about the nature of faith, its purpose in our lives, and its irrelevance to the ones who bring it to us. The charisma of the speaker is more important than his actual belief, but the only one he can't charm is himself, setting up the dilemma that may only be solved by walking away. As entertainment, the movie succeeds to a degree, but there is a layer beneath that makes this a good movie for discussion groups, especially as a double feature with one of the other two movies mentioned above.