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Matthew Modine elaborates in his interview with CW69 Atlanta about being cast in the challenging lead role:
“I was flabbergasted because I hadn’t auditioned for Birdy. I had never imagined playing the part of Birdy. So, I had to really go through an extraordinary transformation in my mind of trying to bring this remarkable character to life.”
Through his physicality, the actor had to authentically portray Birdy’s transition into a catatonic state after fighting in Vietnam. Matthew Modine relies on the power of his expressions from his angular yet sensitive face, and simplistic, languid movements to convey a psychologically broken man. Birdy no longer talks, his eyes are glazed over, and his mind appears to be elsewhere. In flashbacks, we see the childlike goofiness that once radiated joy and curiosity, has been extinguished.
Birdy has a fixation on birds, capturing pigeons and constructing wings to try and fly. He regards the birds with a wide-eyed wonder that borders on sensuality, gently brushing his fingers against their feathers; his love of birds is deep and profound. Alan Parker conveys Birdy’s obsession through an innovative sequence, where Birdy imagines flying above his small town, leaving his troubles behind as he goes up to the sky. Birdy is not the typical protagonist of a Vietnam War film. His preoccupation with birds can be a bit eccentric, but Matthew Modine’s earnest performance brings out the gentle purity of his character that, in light of his transformation, is devastating.
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