One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

I am 21 years old and so I have never lived in the 1970's (or 60's which the novel that the film was based off was written). Because of this, the resonance of the struggle of the old and new way of thinking--youth versus old--becomes lost on me. The microcosmic world of this period of time which audiences cheered for on its release seemed slightly lost on this apathetic viewer, and left me merely focusing on the mere cinematic aspects of the film.

Milos Forman's classic tells the story of the common conman, R.P.McMurphy (Jack Nicholson), who slyly shirks his work duty at a prison by feigning madness and getting moved into an institution. The nurses and doctors there know he's faking it, but his being entrusted to them by the state means their hands are tied from doing anything but evaluating him. His boyish attitude and sense of recklessness immediately disturbs the quiet sameness of the ward and pits him against the ruthless Nurse Ratched (Louise Fletcher) in a battle of wills, representative of the generational battle going on at the time.

This idea is interesting and almost works. But it is troubling to say that on the one hand our society has youth who are free-minded, dangerous delinquents who are lazy, boozing, sex-starved gamblers, and on the other hand we have uniformed, unflinching, passive-aggressive white coats, both groups out to win over the doped-up, mildly unbalanced masses. It's placement in the institution is a flaw in itself if this is the point it's making and it makes for some questionable scenes.

But let's say for a moment that that was not the intent of Foreman. Looking at the film literally let's examine how this outsider fits in which a group of the outsiders of outsiders. "Cuckoo's Nest" has a fantastic set of supporting characters such as Billy Bibbit, Martini, Harding, Bancini and others whose lives are disrupted by this jailbird. Each of them has a fascinating story and we, like McMurphy, get to experience these stories for the first time. They are not given room to breathe, however, as McMurphy's small war against Nurse Ratched interferes. I don't begrudge them that though. The antics are humorous and the small attacks carried out make for some brilliant scenes.

This greatness falters when the story becomes too fantastic. The realism of the work is engaging and impeccably acted until the story is removed from the institution. The group steals a bus and then a boat where McMurphy takes the patients of the ward fishing with a girlfriend of this. The scene is enjoyable in itself, but in the context of the rest of the movie it makes no sense and does nothing but distract the viewers from what the plot is actually about.There is another scene, but that is best saved for a post-viewing discussion as it is something of a spoiler. These sorts of things take away from time which I should very much have liked to have spent watching McMurphy's relationships with the other patients and learning about the patients themselves.

The best moments of this film are those when McMurphy tries to instill some sense of life into this group which has, for too long, been taking medication to placate them. He starts a gambling ring, tries to get the World Series shown (and does, in his own small way), and there is a fantastically funny scene where he starts a basketball game against the workers of the facility. Ratched responds by turning on horrible ugly music, rationing cigarettes and doing everything she can in order to curb the new jolt of electricity sparked in her clean, white ward.

The two leads deliver fantastic performances. Nicholson is one of the most interesting actors to have worked for the silver screen and his performance as McMurphy was one of the those beautiful ones he did before he became "Jack Nicholson". Fletcher so easily makes you hate her with her piercing eyes and lips that never move until she has won some minor fight in which a whisper of a smile cracks her otherwise unfeeling face.

The writing is superb even if the story falters at points. I remember reading the novel after I had seen the film for the first time and I thought that the novel was adapted beautifully into the screenplay. I still don't believe that the institution as a metaphor makes sense, but the story is simply engaging and performed by these actors it is a powerful piece. The final scene of the movie is incredibly strong and much credit has to be given to a film whose staying power has lasted over 30 years.

3.5/4