Drawing on Daphne du Mauriers short story and contemporary newspaper reports of bird attacks in California Alfred Hitchcocks The Birds 1963 featured Tippi Hedren in her first starring role. Camille Paglias compelling study considers the films aesthetic technical and mythical qualities and analyses its depiction of gender and family relations. A film about anxiety sexual power and the violence of nature it is quintessential Hitchcock. Camille Paglias foreword to this new edition reflects upon the