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So, I've just watched "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest". I like to consider myself a film buff but I have some major deficiencies in that there are certain classic films I've not seen, (or at least hadn't till recently). Films like 'A Clockwork Orange' and 'Reservoir Dogs' which I've only seen recently, and films like 'Oldboy' and believe it or not 'Citizen Kane' (both of which are on my rental list, so I will watch them soon). I knew the basics of this film going in, I knew it was about a guy played by Jack Nicholson who fakes being mentally ill so he can serve his prison sentence in a mental hospital instead of doing hard labour. I was not expecting the film I got.

This film honestly got to me, which was an achievement I wasn't expecting it to reach. The characters mattered to me on a human level. I didn't care because I liked them, in fact I quite specifically disliked a lot of the characters. I cared because they seemed real. They seemed human and that's a rare and special thing for any screenplay to achieve.

I wanted to ask who else has seen this film and who feels moved by it, moreso, who else felt moved in a non-positive way. I found myself hating Nurse Ratched so much that I do indeed consider her an evil on screen villian but at the same time understood her character. The way she treated Billy was an act of pure malice and cruelty and I felt enraged so much that I wanted McMurphy to kill her, I've not felt this strongly about a character in a long time. I actually became vocal in my hatred of this character and yet it only happened in the last 15 minutes. Until then, I was willing to look at things from Nurse Ratched's perspective proving that her character was three dimensional because her "evil act" while heartless and out of the blue, doesn't feel contrived, rushed, or out of character. Her cruelty, while unexpected was subtle and McMurphy's reaction was sympathetic and earned.

What really got me though was the ending. Seeing a character I grew attached to, but not knowingly, hurt in such a fashion, that got me. McMurphy isn't a character you instantly love, he's one you like, then that one scene, that one earned scene with Nurse Ratched makes you relate to him and genuinely care for him. For him to not appear for the rest of the film, except for the very last scene, a broken labotomised moron, little more than a vegitable, that was heartbreaking. A man serving only 3 months imprisonment for a non-crime, and a man with such energy, such life, reduced to nothing by a sadistic Nurse who has too much power. I felt disgusted. As the credits rolled I said to myself outloud "What a shit ending", I was fuming. How dare she win, how dare she destroy McMurphy so utterly... and then it hit me, I was so invested in this film that I was genuinely furious that they hurt a character I loved. That's powerful stuff and my respect for this film increases with every minute.

This is not a film to be taken lightly. It's frustrating, even frightening to watch, and it cleverly sticks with you as you realise that this is one of the rare occations when the "bad guys" win, outright. There is no justice. Thoughout the film as you see McMurphy try to bond with the other patients but being stopped at every corner. The simple things like being forced medication to keep him docile, and not being allowed to change the TV channel to watch the superbowl start to grate. Then the hyjinks make you feel like McMurphy could come out on top but he doesn't. He's broken, he's beaten, he's forced into electric shock treatment and when it looks live everything might go his way he's not killed, but destroyed, his brain is violate and his mind is reduced to a retarded dribbling mess... it's a tragic story that has incredible emotional resonance.

I'm not sure if I like this film, in fact, I think I dislike it. It's too good, it's upsetting to watch... but damn do I respect this film, and perhaps I can grow to love it. Like I say, I'm not sure if I like this film, but I'm so very glad I saw it.

I'm in the process of reading this book for school. I kind of like it so far, nothing has really happened yet though. I think we're going to watch the movie at some point in the future, so I didn't read any of this because of spoilers. :p

still waiting to see this film, just having got round to watching it. il post my views once i finally do see it

Well, I'm glad to see schools are putting good literature and cinema on the curriculum (I've never read the book but if it's as good as the film I'm sure it's really engrossing). Personally I think this would work better as a film because it's so subtle in the way it makes you care for the characters, so I hope you get to see the film soon. Like you say, it's a strange story because "nothing really happens" for most of the story, but, especially thanks to Jack Nicholson's acting, you still want to see what's comming. Be sure to come back and tell me what you think once you've seen it.

Cool. I look forward to hearing what you think. I know Just4Hax said it was on Netflix last night so if you need a way to see it, that's not a bad option.

My english teacher was saying that nothing is like reading the book and that the book is much better than the movie. He said the movie isn't really based on Chief Bromden, but in the book he narrates the whole story through his eyes so it's totally different. I can't give an opinion on that yet because I haven't finished either, but when I finish the book and watch the movie I'll try to remember to come back to this thread and post my thoughts on the movie and the book. That probably won't be for a few weeks though.

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