One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
★★★★★
“Not now…” - Billy
“If not now, when?” - McMurphy
This exchange isn’t even on the top of the list of best quotes from this film, but this interaction perfectly sums up why people respond so positively to this movie. The film is drenched in introspective symbolism, but maintains an inspirational spirit that leaves you both motivated and entertained. It’s been a while since I’ve seen this film and I was afraid that my first positive reaction would be diminished with age. I was extremely happy to discover that I loved this film even more. It’s a film that will be forever relevant and I think as one ages, your perspective of what’s being said will change each time you watch it.
Jack Nicholson plays the anti-hero, R.P. McMurphy, who tries to take advantage of the justice system by pleading insanity in hopes to be released from his prison sentence early. He quickly becomes too comfortable in the eyes of the head nurse, Nurse Ratched (Lousie Fletcher), who constantly squashes McMurphy’s attempts to challenge and stir up the other mental patients.
This film has always been penned as the anti-establishment movie. Especially with its release in the mid-70’s, it perfectly echoed the sentiment of American culture during a divisive time. With this re-watch, I found that label to be too simple. Yes, I think that overall it is rallying a spirit of individualism, but I think that the director Milos Forman actually paints this story in a diplomatic fashion. This movie is more so about how people should handle positions of power. The brilliance of this film is that it shows both sides of the story. McMurphy and Nurse Ratched (what a perfect villainous name, by the way) clearly both have a lot of power and sway in their positions, but truly don’t know how to handle it. It’s not too big of a spoiler to say that the communication line breaks down between the two. Forman is trying to show us just how pivotal it is to follow the rules, but also that it’s okay to amend such rules. The world is a better place with an open dialogue and that’s never more apparent than in the epic battle between the inmates and the establishment.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest had a lot of stiff Oscar competition, but I think it’s completely deserving of its awards. I think that every element of this film is seamlessly working together to create a story that is unforgettable. Nicholson and Fletcher definitely steal the spotlight, but the ensemble cast is also terrific. It’s fun to see such famous actors in their infancy as the mental patients, but they play a perfect line of believability without poking fun of their characters. This film could have easily tried to use the patients as punchlines, but if anything, the humor and interactions lift them up. Brad Dourif’s stuttering Billy Bibbit is particularly memorable and really serves as the heart of this film as he is caught in the crossfire of McMurphy’s antics. I love ensemble films and this is a perfect collaboration of characters that you sympathize with. It really does make you take a deeper look at the mentally unstable in our real world.
I truly believe that this film is so layered that it could be dissected and studied in a college course. Despite the turmoil and angst it creates, it has a positive spirit at its core. It challenges the audience to not take things at face value and inspires them to, as corny as it sounds, break through walls and change the world. That’s pretty sappy, but this movie epitomizes why films can move and change people. I give One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest five out of five World Series.
