In films, people question the roles women play. Women have evolved over the years to achieve equality within sectors. In Hitchcock's films, women are at the center of mistreatment. In the movie The Birds, it features a pretty young woman who tries to play a harmless prank on handsome Mitch, but it slowly takes an unexpected turn. Melanie, the main character, brings Mitch's sister a lovebird gift to their home. After this, Bodega Bay is repeatedly attacked by a swarm of birds. Every scene where the birds attack Melanie, she's placed in these tight, claustrophobic places, the phone booth and then the attic that she has nowhere to get out of because of the birds attacking. “The effect of these scenes certainly gives the impression that these (predominantly male) filmmakers actively want to see Melanie/Tippi fight for her life.” But after each attack, Mitch is always there to bring her to safety. Hitchcock implies that a woman will always need a man to help her get out of a situation and that she is incapable of extricating herself from difficult situations. Today, there are fewer films about female characters who have to be saved by a man and more about women who save themselves and become independent. Say no to plagiarism. Get a custom essay on "Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned"? Get an original essay During this film, Hitchcock seeks to make the audience question whether "the inexplicable ferocity of birds or the idea that the dubious role The concept of "woman" in Hollywood is inextricably rooted in sexual imagery. He does this by focusing on certain parts of Melanie's body in the attic scene when the birds attack her. He chooses to show “the shorn sleeve of a protective arm that cuts through the air; a pair of unnaturally wobbly bloody legs; an open, dangling palm being pinched by a beak.” Hitchcock uses close-ups to sexualize her and create a feeling of perversion. This begs the question of whether or not Hitchcock wanted to sexualize the female character or show the audience that the only thing a woman is good at is her appearance and body features. It is not only during this film but in many others that Hitchcock depicted the mistreatment of female characters. Either they are dead or they are being tortured in a way that affects them mentally. In this film Hitchcock does both, he causes the bird to physically attack Melanie and in doing so it affects her mentally. The torture she suffered in the attic left her frightened and afraid that the birds would attack her again. Hitchcock's work does not accept the feminist path because it makes his female character helpless and in need of a man's help. Another film that embodies this notion: that women should be used by a man, is Vertigo. Vertigo is about a former detective, Scottie Ferguson, who, after the death of his love, or so he thinks, searches for a replacement for Madeline. In the first half of the film, we see Madeline as a beauty that cannot be recreated for Scottie. In one of the scenes with Midge, she recreates herself as Carlotta's painting. Once Scottie sees it, he is speechless and, from his facial expression, says that Midge is not good enough to be compared to Madeline/Carlotta. From this scene, the audience can understand that Hitchcock is implying that not all women are equally beautiful and cannot satisfy a man's needs. As we progress through the film, we discover that Madeline is.