Just like American Honey and Fish Tank, Bird left me feeling a mixed bag of emotions, and that’s precisely what makes Andrea Arnold one of the most consistent directors of our time. I’ve always admired Arnold’s style—documentary-esque visuals, hand-held shots, the use of popular music, and beautiful close-ups—and Bird does not disappoint. Barry Keoghan and Franz Rogowski deliver brilliant performances, and Nykiya Adams as the protagonist, Bailey, was a pleasant surprise. The subjects of Arnold’s films are usually individuals, particularly women, from the economically deprived class. While that involves the risk of seeming repetitive, she has managed to keep it unique each time. In her films, even if the plots are the driving force, feelings take center stage. It is silly as well as impossible to come up with a logical explanation for all that unfolds in the Bird, but what we can discuss is how a touch of magic completely changed Bailey’s life.
Spoiler Alert
How did Bird’s arrival change Bailey’s life?
Bailey was troubled when her father, Bug, revealed that he would be marrying in a couple of days. She thought marrying a woman he had barely known for three months was a terrible mistake, and she did not wish to be a part of his celebrations. She wanted to rebel against her father, and after seeing her stepbrother, Hunter, get an uncut, she decided to get one too. Bailey liked her hair short; she knew the adults would not appreciate it, and perhaps that was all the more reason why she decided to chop it. For Bailey, Hunter was an inspiration. He had recently joined a local vigilante group that aimed to fight against rampant crimes, especially those involving children. Bailey wanted to become a vigilante as well; she suddenly felt the desperate need to act, to do something unexpected and risky, anything that would keep her distracted from her father’s new relationship. She had also realized that she was not interested in the usual feminine activities girls her age participated in, and she refused to be put in a box. After the gang, which only consisted of male members, declined to take Bailey in, she decided to follow them. She saw them break into a house and punish a man accused of abusing children. As soon as Bailey heard the police siren, she ran for her life. Exhausted, she fell asleep on a farm.
Bailey woke up to the sound of bees and the soft grunting sound of horses. She had always felt a deep connection with nature, and she enjoyed documenting everything that appealed to her. A close-up of a horse was not something she perhaps expected to capture with her phone camera, but she was elated to see the beauty up close. While Bailey was relieving herself, a gust of wind caught her off guard. She suddenly saw a strange man walking towards her. The man was in a skirt, and there was something peculiar about him. Bailey immediately pointed her camera at him, threatening to circulate his video if he dared to mess with her. The man, who introduced himself as Bird, twirled and rolled for the camera. Bailey figured the man was harmless, though his behavior was unusual. Just like Bailey, Bird deeply felt connected to the nature around him, and he could not help but comment on how beautiful the day was. Bird was searching for an address, and Bailey helped him with the directions.
While Bird walked away, Bailey decided to follow him. She was not entirely sure what to make of the eccentric man, but she was extremely curious. Bailey discovered that the man was searching for his parents, and unfortunately, they had moved. She noticed Bird standing on the terrace, and when his skirt fluttered in the wind, he looked like a giant bird. She could not stop thinking about him, and the next day she decided to visit him on the terrace and help him trace his family.
After he failed to find his parents, Bird decided to soak in the surroundings to get a glimpse of the life his parents lived. When Bailey mentioned she knew someone who could help him out, Bird exclaimed that he had always known that there was a reason why they crossed paths. To Bailey’s surprise, Bird did not carry a phone, and they simply agreed to meet again the next day. Bailey could sleep peacefully knowing the Bird was watching over her. Even though she barely knew him, there was an undeniable connection between them. His eccentricity was both infectious and inspirational for Bailey.
How did Bailey help Bird?
The morning Bailey had set out to help Bird find information about his parents, she had her first menstrual period. She suddenly felt the desire to transform her appearance, so she braided her hair and sported kohl-rimmed eyes, adding a touch of grunge to her look. She enjoyed the male attention she received that day when she stepped out of her house. Bird was right; there was something different about her. Bailey and Bird arrived at her mother’s house, where she lived with her new boyfriend, Skate. Bailey was ecstatic to see her stepsisters, but as soon as she entered the house, she realized that her mother was dating a terrible man. From the state of the house, it was obvious that her mother struggled with addiction.
Bailey’s mother, Peyton, used to live in the same building as Bird’s family, and she remembered his mother. She had heard that Bird had disappeared one day when he was young, and never returned, and that was all the information she had. She added that his father’s name was Fred Lamb, and she remembered that he had left Bird’s mother and moved to Leysdown. Bailey was furious when Skate ordered her little sister to make him a cup of tea and threw a fit when it did not taste perfect. Before leaving the house, Bailey shot a video of Skate’s aggravated reaction, which was clearly traumatizing for the children. In the hopes of taking matters into her own hands, she sent the video to the vigilante group. Bird had left Bailey to deal with the situation on her own, and when they met later, he stated that he was not the hero she wanted him to be. Bailey did not mind; life had taught her to keep her expectations low, and she had already handled the situation. She decided to travel with Bird to Leysdown the next day, and she also planned to take her siblings along with her while her vigilante group handled the situation. Bird found his father in Leysdown, though he initially refused to acknowledge that he had a son. He had assumed Bird had passed away. When Bird inquired about his mother, he was told that she was an impossible woman to live with. She was unconventional, just like Bird, and according to rumors, she had returned to the marshes where she had come from. Bird carried with him a sketch of a bird his mother had drawn; she was obsessed with birds.
Who was Bird?
When Bailey went to her mother’s house to drop her siblings off, she saw her mother struggle to keep Skate out of her house. He begged her to take him back, and he broke down the door. He slammed Peyton’s face against the wall, and when Bailey tried to hold him back, he pushed her to the ground. At that moment all she could think about was birds—she was obsessed with them, and perhaps even a little envious; there were times when she often wondered how freeing it would be to fly away. Bailey felt like a caged bird, tied by situations beyond her control, and she desperately wanted to break free. All of a sudden she saw Bird in the house. He had come to rescue her, and to her surprise, he had transformed into a gigantic bird. The heightened magical moment did not come as a shock but rather as an obvious progression. The first instant of magic was when a bird helped Bailey deliver a message to Hunter’s girlfriend. It was almost as if Bailey and all elements of nature were in complete sync. We always knew there was something extraordinary about Bird, and his transformation into an actual lifesaving creature somehow made complete sense.
It was almost as if the birds had been watching over Bailey, and they had sent her help knowing she would need some. The fact that Bird had disappeared as a child further explains the magical possibility. Perhaps a supernatural world had opened up to him, and he’d managed to become a part of it because he never thought anything was too strange or absurd. Bird’s transformation also symbolized his desire to become the hero Bailey needed. He could not stand up for her the first time, so with a dash of magic the second time, he took her problem far away (quite literally!). There is no denying that Bird was extraordinary; after all, bringing a dog (Peyton’s dog, Dave) back to life is purely fantastical! Arnold draws a connection between the drastic change around Bailey and her first menstrual period. Her transformation was not just internal, but it also affected the world around her. Bailey’s decision to take matters into her own hands and her curious as well as helpful nature (she saw Bird for who he was instead of trying to label him) resulted in the drastic climax.
Why did Bailey’s stepbrother attempt to run away?
Bailey’s stepbrother, Hunter, was in love with Moon, and he planned on running away with her after he discovered that she was pregnant. For Hunter, the news was worth celebrating, but Moon’s family did not feel the same way. Hunter’s father, Bug, was also fourteen when he became a father, so it was not an unusual situation for the teenage boy. He believed if his father could’ve managed, he too would somehow make it work. But there was clearly a socio-economic difference between Hunter and Moon. While he lived in an old rented graffiti-ridden apartment, her parents owned a house in the uptown—he did not have much to lose; for her, everything was on the line.
During Bird’s ending, Hunter waited for Moon at the station, hoping that she would come along with him to Scotland. But she never showed up, and instead, Bug and Bailey were at the platform. Bug was disappointed when he learned about Hunter’s plan; it was his wedding day, and he wanted his children by his side. Even though it seemed Bug was an abusive father at first, he proved to be a loving parent in the end. Yes, as someone who had to figure things out at fourteen, he was a little messed up, but it never escalated to physical violence. He was a goofy man who was hopeful about finding love even though he had had his heart broken over and over again. He took his chances even if it meant relying on a toad to produce a hallucinogen that he could sell to pay for his wedding! He was not the most sensible man, but he loved his children. He repeatedly mentioned how becoming a father at fourteen was difficult for him, but he had no regrets.
What helped Bailey forgive her father?
Bird starts with Bailey feeling insecure when Bug mentioned he was going to marry his girlfriend. She possibly wondered if his decision would impact her relationship with him and she assumed she would end up becoming another neglected teen without any constant parental figure. Bailey thought her stepmother and her daughter would become Bug’s priority, but at the train station, when Bug looked them in the eye and told them how much he loved them, Bailey stopped worrying about losing her family. No matter who came into his life, Bailey and Hunter would continue to be important to him, and that was all she needed to know. The three returned home on an e-scooter listening to The Verve’s “Lucky Man.” Bailey was surprised that Bug had started to listen to what she called ‘dad’ music; Bug admitted he was getting old. The heartwarming scene is followed by Bug and Kayleigh’s wedding, and Bailey is seen wearing the pink catsuit she had initially refused to put on—she had decided to prioritize her dad’s happiness.
What does the final scene suggest?
In Bird’s ending scene, Bird met Bailey at the wedding venue to bid her farewell. Her eyes were searching for him, and she was glad to see him there. Even though she barely knew him, his impact on her life was undeniable. Bailey embraced him, and for a brief second, she felt like she was hugging a giant bird. The lyrics “No one here is alone” appear on the screen, underlining how at the lowest point in her life so far, a stranger showed up and made everything better. For the world, Bird would continue to be an eccentric man, impossible to deal with because he refused to fit in a box, but for Bailey, he would forever be the magical bird man, her savior. We don’t know where Bird would end up; perhaps he would return to the supernatural realm he had discovered when he disappeared!
In the last shot, Bailey’s eyes turned hazel brown, almost like the fox that had crashed the wedding party. Just like Bird, she had a wild side in her that believed in strange possibilities. It can be interpreted as a sign of her becoming whole with nature and the universe. One can also read the change as a sign of transformation—her becoming a savior in someone else’s life, just like Bird. Maybe for Bug, Bailey had not just saved the day, but she had been a reason for his survival, and he saw her for who she was.
It was a clever choice to play “The Universal” by Blur in the background in the final scene, a song that Bug and Bailey could relate to. Bug’s firm belief in love, even though “the future has been sold,” showed how he preferred holding on to slim possibilities, and both the father and daughter had learned through life and lived experiences that anything “really really really could happen.”
