One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest (Milos Forman, USA, 1975) March 22, 2007
Posted by Daniel Stephens in : 1970s, Drama, Film reviews , trackbackI think anyone would be hard-pressed to find fault with this fantastic movie. Jack Nicholson delivers one of his finest performances as R.P McMurphy. This film is all about the vitality of life and Nicholson embodies that beautifully but it’s Milos Forman’s perfect direction that makes this film so endearing. He lets the camera frantically move from character to character, peeking into their crazy little worlds, offering us a glimpse of their closed insecurities, whilst underpinning it all with McMurphy, the ‘full of life’ con, out for the easy road. The script is one of the best I’ve ever witnessed - you couldn’t have asked for a better adaptation of the book. Yet, it’s supported by an ensemble cast of characters who all deliver - their individualities laid bare for all to see. Brad Dourif as the stuttering wannabe Cassonova, Danny DeVito as the thirty year old trapped in a 12 year old’s body (You can’t split the cigarette up Danny and have two quarters!!) and Christopher Lloyd in his first ever role. But it’s the devastating finale that really hits home. McMurphy does more for the patients than the doctors ever could, and the film plays on this idea. It’s one of the greatest movies ever made - of that there is no question.
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