Review of Birdy (1984) by Darren R — 16 Apr 2013

Directed by Alan Parker, who had just come off the nightmarish production of Pink Floyd-The Wall (1982), Parker decided he wanted to do a simple character piece for his next film, nothing complicated. Based on William Wharton's 1978 bestselling novel, Parker came off this film rejuvenated and refreshed, and it would set the scene for what would come next in Angel Heart (1987) and Mississippi Burning (1988).

As a teenager, Al Columbato (Nicolas Cage) became friends with local eccentric Birdy (Matthew Modine), who has an obsession with birds, and he wants to fly like a bird. Even though Al is at first scornful of Birdy's dreams and ambitions, he takes part in his experiments in the slums of Philadelphia.

However, after they both enlist to fight in Vietnam, everything changes. After both being injured in an operation, Al suffers facial injuries while Birdy suffers a traumatic shock, and he's sent to a mental home, where he now believes he's a bird.

Al travels to the mental hospital in an attempt to try and snap Birdy out of his locked in state of mind. It's a near heartbreaking film, and it shows Cage could turn in a powerful, gut-wrenching performance, and that Modine is a truly underrated actor.

It's topped off with an eerie score by Peter Gabriel, and some great direction by Parker, who captures the era well.