How Hitchcock and Allen Create and Display Their Swarms

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The prevailing idea is that humans are superior to nature (Paez, 2019). However, Whissel (2014) uses Hitchcock’s film The Birds to demonstrate that humans are vulnerable when nature strikes. In the movie, the bird’s sudden attack shows that despite humans' advancements, they cannot withstand nature. Humans cannot control nature, and their attempts to control it are fruitless. Similarly, Irwin Allen’s The Swarm, the film disputes the idea of human superiority using a swarm of bees. The deadly bees attack humans and demonstrate that humans can be disrupted.
Hitchcock (1963) starts with a closeup of the crows, which initially appear harmless. However, soon the crows become aggressive and chase after the students. The crows increase in number as they move toward the students. In the same way, Allen starts with a small colony, which gradually becomes massive. The bees can be seen all over the streets, attacking anyone exposed. In both films, the directors use their swarms to demonstrate the destructive power of nature. The multitudes create a sense of fear in humans and evoke a feeling of helplessness. Humans are overwhelmed by the creatures and cannot use their massive technologies to deal with the issue. Seeing children falling due to bee attacks is heartbreaking. It serves to amplify the gravity of the issue.
In both films, the directors use a mix of shot framing. The shots range from close-ups to long shots, depending on what the scene displays. For instance, Hitchcock's closeup of the crows helps to draw attention to the birds. When they start attacking, a long shot is used to demonstrate the magnitude of the birds. A closeup focuses the audience's attention on the crows as they attack the students. Allen (1978) uses a long shot to show the huge swarm of bees. This allows the viewer to understand that this is not a normal colony. When the bees start attacking the people, clos...