One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)

Introduction

There are very few critics who discuss what the actual cuckoo’s nest is in the film ‘One flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest’. The phrase itself is attributable to this chant which will serve as an epigraph for this review:

Vintery, mintery, cutery, corn,
Apple seed and apple thorn;
Wire, briar, limber lock,
Three geese in a flock.
One flew east,
And one flew west,
And one flew over the cuckoo's nest (taken from the review of the said film by Tim Dirks)

It is clear that the cuckoo’s refers to the mental ward and the dysfunctional patients that lie within however this is superficial for there is more to it than this. The Cuckoo’s nest reflects an important aspect of the human condition in its totality. It is true that the film does explore themes related to the use of authority in curbing the natural impulses of human beings however this is only cursory and an escapist method used by critics to assess the philosophical dimensions of this superb film. Let me start by saying that I have never read the book but I plan to soon enough and when I do I will add an addendum to this my ultimate review of ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest’ which was released in 1975 and won five major academy awards: Best Picture, Best Actor (Jack Nicholson), Best Actress (Louis Fletcher), Best Director (Milos Forman) and Best Adapted Screenplay. As I have not read the book I will not be able to explore fully all the connotations however based on the presentation in the film I have come to some conclusions. The film is centred on Randall Mcmurphy (Jack Nicholson), a convict, who in his attempt to escape work detail in prison fakes insanity (this is questionable and I will elaborate further) and is placed in a mental ward. In this film Mcmurphy is revolted by the repressive policies dished out by Nurse Ratched which is executed by her in the name of conformism. This conflict between Mcmurphy and Ratched is the central conflict of the film however on the sidelines lurks chief a tall Indian who issupposedly deaf and dumb but is quite observant of the system at work and provides the best insights into the machinations of repression. He is the one who flies over the cuckoo’s nest and I will explain these issues later.

What is the Cuckoo’s Nest?

Here is a brief look on what the cuckoo’s nest actually is.  Firstly the Cuckoo’s nest is an accurate reflection of an aspect of humanity because humanity would be incomplete without a cuckoo’s nest. It is a Cuckoo’s nest because of the various personalities that collide. These personalities collide and create division thereby denying humanity of any unity regardless of what the UN tries to say. In this film the characters in the asylum represent   the extreme side of most ordinary individuals and so they are classified as crazy and are thrown into an institution so that they may be corrected.  I say they represent the extreme side because their disorders represent some break with humanity and its oneness and so they form the cuckoo’s nest. The cuckoo’s nest can then be seen as an environment where individuals are placed thereby reflecting some form of separation, forcefully or willingly, from humanity based on prior interactions with the known world. The majority tends to enforce this development because these individuals do not necessarily conform to the so called popular trends. Mcmurphy says to the patients ‘You’re no crazier than the average asshole out there walking on the streets’. Secondly, the anti-authoritarian message in this film is apt to a certain extent considering that most of the patients featured in this film say that they committed themselves voluntarily to the institution. The authoritarian measure arises when they are denied basic privileges that the ordinary human takes for granted. It is only then that they are forced into a corner and come to the conclusion with the help of Randle McMurphy that they should really be out there in the wide world. This is a point completely misinterpreted by various critics simply because they failed to understand the dynamics of the cuckoo’s nest. The epigraph to this review suggests that the cuckoo’s nest is a grounding element as the goose flies over. The goose itself is not bound to its confines because a nest is essentially a place where chicks lay and are taken care of by their mother (or father). The anti-authoritarian message shines through when you discover that the individuals in the cuckoo’s nest have reached the stage where they should be mature enough to leave the nest however the parents refuse to acknowledge that their children have matured and forcefully seek to have them stay in the nest. Unfortunately, as the film suggests, there will always be individuals who will be confined to the cuckoo’s nest. McMurphy is astonished when he discovers that most of the patients in his section of the ward committed themselves voluntarily merely because they do not feel that they are cut out to fly out (not necessarily over the Cuckoo’s nest)into the world. This is as a result of their personality disorders that require state run mental institutions to look after them and as I said before these disorders represent the extreme sides of the ordinary individual based on his/her interaction with humanity. This interaction with humanity which forced the individual to commit him or herself to the institution normally culminates in a shocking event which can break the individual based on their personality type. Their personality type will then go into overdrive and then they will be deemed crazy or not fit by the general populace.

 In this film several personalities are on display that counter the personality of Mcmurphy: There is Mr. Harding (Hard On), the intellectual, who tries to rationalize ‘form and content’ in a vacuum. As an intellectual who merely absorbs existing information he is not very original and so does not seem very effective in his analyses. He accuses his wife of cheating but because he is unable to prove it with actual evidence he is caught in a muddle (vacuum) and can only justify his wife’s adultery simply because she drew stares from men in the street. This is why he can only say he suspects as opposed to definitively having proof that she is an adulterer. This therefore induces some form of rational paranoia where the lack of evidence along with the emotional impulses cannot be justified by a dignified rational response. There is Mr. Scanlon, the hermit and I am not too sure of his back-story. The only reference to his circumstance is when Nurse Ratched (Louis Fletcher) says that they discussed ‘many times’ the issue with regards to the closing of the dorm in daytime and on weekends and that ‘time spent in the company of others is very therapeutic whereas time spent brooding alone only increases a feeling of separation’. He is a hermit who wishes to be alone away from the crowd (an instance where a personality trait creates a division in humanity). There is Tabes the sadist with violent tendencies (Christopher Lloyd) who presents himself in the film as an ineffectual individual who has the impulse to lash out violently but cannot dignify his outbursts with action. In most scenes he is portrayed in that manner although, having not read the book, I cannot point to his specific condition suffice to say he was one of the few in McMurphy’s section that was not voluntarily committed. He was forcefully committed. He seems like a sadist in that he enjoys the humiliation and pain of others. Watch the scene where Mcmurphy is strangling Nurse Ratched and take a look at his face as he urges Mcmurphy on or how he taunts Harding and the scene where a cigarette gets caught in his pants and he excessively expresses his pain. There is Billy Bibbit (Brad Dourif was nominated for Best supporting actor for his performance), the man-child, under the watch of a repressive mother (it’s no wonder she and Nurse Ratched are friends). He stammers incessantly and all his attempts to reach out to a female seem to be thwarted by their rebuff which is why he tries to kill himself after a woman refused to accept his marriage proposal and this is probably why he committed himself to the institution. He has been repressed to the point where he cannot speak clearly and he cannot act independently and there is no doubt that his mother had a role in all of this repression. In the film his attempts to breakthrough are normally through the pursuit of a female and this probably reflects the influence of his mother. His most important moment comes when he is forced into a room with Mcmurphy’s trailer trash girlfriend who takes his virginity.  Mcmurphy says ‘Billy you must be committed (forcefully)’ when Billy says no he is voluntary Mcmurphy says ‘you should be out there in the convertible dogging chicks and banging beaver’. There is Martini (Danny Devito) a diminutive figure who does not have much of a conscience. He is the man who would be a kleptomaniac in the real world or a compulsive liar just so he can get what he wants regardless of the feeling of others. There is Charlie Cheswick who is overly neurotic or excessively emotional. He acts primarily off his emotional response to a situation so if he loves he loves passionately if he experiences fear it will seem as if he is surrounded by ghosts. He cannot stay grounded which is why he is chummy with Harding the intellectual. He is one who certainly needs the company of others however in the real world his behavior would isolate him because he would seem too needy so it is no surprise that he voluntarily commits himself.  There is the Chief, a tall Indian, who is to the patients ‘a deaf and dumb Indian’ however it is clear that he is not so he is a schizophrenic.  He is portrayed in the film (I have not read the book) as a man suffering from delusions as he sees the repressive system at work. In the film he is also repressed to the point where he feels he has to play deaf and dumb which is the ultimate sign of conformism. Whereas the other patients suggest that they have the potential to break out on their own chief rarely show any signs to the staff at the ward that he is capable of breaking out until Mcmurphy comes along. One of the most powerful scenes where Mcmurphy and chief play basketball for the first time shows how low the chief’s self esteem is. Mcmurphy shouts repeatedly ‘put in the basket chief, put it in the basket’ and his shouting seems to be reaching down to the core of the Chief who is buried underneath this rubble. This is one of the great moments of Jack Nicholson’s performance and the directorship of Milos Forman. Chief later reveals that his personality is emerging and reveals how low he thinks of himself when Mcmurphy says that they should escape and he says ‘it’s easier for you you’re a lot bigger than me’. Chief is nearly 7 feet tall and Mcmurphy responds accordingly to Chief’s statement, ‘why chief you’re as big as a goddamn tree trunk’. There are two other characters of this group who do not seem to have any major problems and do not feature significantly in the film although they’re inclined to be jokers and that must be their weakness.

Mcmurphy vs. Nurse Ratched

The Question arises: How do these personalities collide with Mcmurphy? The personality of Mcmurphy is one who should or cannot be confined to the Cuckoo’s nest. He thinks so clearly that it’s almost startling and this is because his problems hardly seem to bog him down due to his free spirited nature. His simplicity flies in the face of the establishment.  He moves with the flow or the tide; he dislikes authority because it stifles his movement which embraces life in its entirety. Look at how Mcmurphy responds after undergoing electric shock therapy. A lot of people would have been in disarray he says however, ‘The next girl that I meet is going to light up like silver dollars’. It is as if he brushed it aside nonchalantly.  In one of his meeting with a group of psychiatrists one of them asks him a pertinent question and it is this question that captures the essence of Mcmurphy: ‘Are you familiar with the term a rolling stone gathers no moss?’This is what Mcmurphy is: a rolling stone moving so fast it has no time to gather its thoughts or to form any meaningful attachments. He appears crazy because he lashes out against authority and in lashing out he seems loud and disruptive and he must be repressed by the establishment. Nurse Ratched says to the panel of psychiatrists, who are trying to decide whether he is crazy or not,  that they should not shirk their responsibility in seeking to curb this individual by handing him back to the authorities of the law. It is mandated that they should do everything in their power to reform him and thereby have him conform. She probably understands that this would only fit with Mcmurphy’s propensity to roll with the tide doing as he pleased. Chief also recognises the impending doom surrounding Mcmurphy when he speaks of his father who was similar in some respects to Mcmurphy.

Mcmurphy says ‘I can’t take it anymore. I gotta get outta here’ and the chief responds: 

‘My poppa is real big. He did like he pleased that’s why everybody worked on him. The last time I seen my father he was blind in the cedars from drinking and every time he put the bottle to his mouth he don’t suck out of it. It sucks out of him until he shrunk so wrinkled and yellow even the dogs don’t know him.' Mcmurphy says ‘killed him uh’. Chief: ‘I’m not saying they killed him they just worked on him the way they’re working on you’.  

This is linked to what Ratched said about the establishment doing everything in their power to have him conform. Mcmurphy seems out of place in the cuckoo’s nest because of the sort of people that reside there. The personalities of these people in his section of the ward represent some contradictions to his character because of their inherent lack of self confidence. This has been missed by several critics and it is an embarrassment that they have ignored this issue because of the absence of a proper theoretical framework so as to assess the film. This is regardless of their personality disorders for the inherent contradiction they represent to Mcmurphy is their lack of self confidence. I cannot remember where I browsed but a critic made a foolish remark saying that the film did not spend enough time examining mental illness. I wondered how the film was to do this when that was not the message it was trying to put forward. The film ‘Awakenings’ starring Robert Deniro and Robin Williams had that as its focus because that was the message it was trying to promote: breakthroughs in medicine. In any case this is the main contradiction: lack of self confidence vs. confidence.

It is because the other patients at the ward lack self confidence why Mcmurphy becomes their champion against the establishment which is manifested in this film in the form of Nurse Ratched. Nurse Ratched recognises that the patients lack self confidence which is why she manipulates them to conform to her dictate. It is only after the thrust by Mcmurphy that you begin to see changes in the structure of the ward’s curriculum. The main thrust everyone talks of is the scene where he is denied access to the television to watch the World Series despite winning the vote against Nurse Ratched. She claimed that the time for the meeting had elapsed so the vote of chief does not count. The vote of chief would have shifted the vote in Mcmurphy’s balance. In a brilliant scene Mcmurphy, refusing to bow out, looks at a blank screen and tries to re-enact the match in his head by playing commentator. This rouses the imagination of the patients and although they cannot see what is going on the kinetic impact of Mcmurphy’s commentary excites them to the point where Nurse Ratched feels that they will become unruly when they are in fact only enjoying a sports game. Nurse Ratched is an ultra conformist and appears sexually repressed a position a woman has to take if she is to enter the cutthroat world of men. One of the jokers states in reference to her sexual repression ‘maybe Mcmurphy should just let out his thing (penis) and she (Nurse Ratched) would open the gate for him’. Dr. Spivey says that ‘the person he (Mcmurphy) is closest to is the one he dislikes the most. That’s you Mildred (Nurse Ratched).’ The duel between Mcmurphy and Nurse Ratched is classic because it has been imitated by so many films most notably ‘The Dark Knight’ (2008) with the Joker vs. The batman. It echoes the duel between an unstoppable force and an immovable object. The unstoppable force (Mcmurphy) cannot be cooled whereas the immovable object (Nurse Ratched) simply won’t budge. Mcmurphy is closest to Nurse Ratched for several reasons: Firstly, he cannot do as he pleases with her and secondly the both of them are fighting for control of the minds or souls of the patients. This is certainly echoed by the Batman and the joker in ‘The Dark Knight’. They both see clearly the implication of their actions which is why their antithesis (Mcmurphy or Nurse Ratched) looms so largely. They can only see each other because the patients are subject to their will. They only take note of the patients’ behaviour when they see that the other is holding sway over them. So for instance if Nurse Ratched has them doing exercises and following their daily routine the patients seem ok but Mcmurphy will resist and say I don’t feel like doing this anymore then there will be a shift because the patients will then think twice about what they’re doing.  It ebbs and flows between the two. There are two tragic sequences where this is apparent. When Billy is escorted into the room, at the behest of Mcmurphy with Candy (trailer trash) who will take his virginity it seems to have the effect of almost transforming him. When he encounters Nurse Ratched he seems almost liberated and his stuttering is not at all visible; Nurse Ratched knows that this is the work of Mcmurphy. She strikes a low blow at Billy by threatening to discuss this with his mother but that is really directed at Mcmurphy. After Billy reveals that he was led into the room with Candy at the behest of Mcmurphy look at the stare she gives Mcmurphy. Billy eventually commits suicide and so Nurse Ratched wins for Billy paid the price for his non conformity. McMurphy then tries to kill her by the strangulation method and almost succeeds but he is thwarted by the guards. Mcmurphy is lobotomized perhaps at the behest of Nurse Ratched but that is not made clear and so his spirit appears to be extinguished and Nurse Ratched appears to have won. In the final scene the patients go back to their routine following the conflict between Mcmurphy and Nurse Ratched however it has been altered slightly thanks to the thrust made by Mcmurphy and it highlights that he did make some inroads. The patients have not forgotten Mcmurphy they discuss the mythic circumstances surrounding his predicament in another ward. When Mcmurphy does return he is lobotomized; almost a shadow of his former self. Chief performs an act of mercy killing for if the patients see Mcmurphy in his lobotomized state wallowing in the mud or blind in the cedars then they will feel that it is probably better to conform to authority. Chief smashes the glass with an instrument and escapes into the wild unknown and in this way he and Mcmurphy escape from the cuckoo’s nest. Physically it is only Chief but the influence or spirit of Mcmurphy also goes with him and this will add to his legend in the ward and thereby give him some form of victory over the authoritarian principles of Nurse Ratched. I have heard that in the book it is all the patients who are cognisant of their surroundings that escape along with Chief and so it would have been a resounding victory for Mcmurphy over Nurse Ratched. In the film the victory seems very small as it is the Chief alone who escapes which suggests that change is gradual and it would be interesting to see how the patients in the film would respond after Chief smashed the window and escaped. They would be more confident now knowing that going into the wide world is not so challenging after all.

There is also one other important point to emphasise about Mcmurphy in this film. Most of his attempts to escape are thwarted. You would think that he would be the one to fly over the cuckoo’s nest given his penchant knack for disorder however it never comes through and this is why it is clear that the film is more about the influence of Mcmurphy than his actual attempts at escape. As I said before a man like Mcmurphy could not exist in a mental institution because he is obviously not crazy he is simply a rolling stone however the true reality of the film would see the patients going about their daily routine day in day out until they are finally liberated by death without the influence of Mcmurphy or his sort of spirit. In every sphere of life there is someone like that who shakes up the system and whose influence grows in stature even after they’re gone as some symbol of resistance to the establishment of the day. The only reason people revolt against an existing establishment is because of the reasons given in this film. They are being denied some privileges or some form of rights that they feel should be their due and in turn they conform to the system. This is where you need people like Mcmurphy who challenge the system and his challenge appears so forthright that the existing establishment cannot ignore his influence and will be forced to concede in some instances. This is why by the end it is clear that the thrust by Mcmurphy does have some sway over the inmates and boosts their self confidence.  It is this message of the film that endures above all else and I will soon draw my attention to the limited scope of these so called top critics when they seek to assess the greatness of this film. The film itself is the only one of its kind that can serve as some form of inspiration to people seeking to challenge the establishment. Nurse ratched represents the values of the establishment and appears overly conservative and resistant to change and this duel has been fought from the beginning of time. If the liberal thrust makes inroads into the conservative class they (the conservatives) will never be the same although they still impose their traditional customs. If the liberals took over completely then it would be chaos for a time until the said liberals would settle into a conservative mould and therefore begin to function normally. In this film this is apparent several times. Mcmurphy’s thrust reaches a point where the inmates appear to want to revolt and disorder ensues. You can see this in the farewell party that they have when the whole place is in tatters the following morning. The question is how many people would want to return home and find their place looted, bundled or turned upside down. Not many people I suppose.  The reality is there are people who are like Nurse Ratched  however there comes a time when you must accede that a change is necessary and when you do not accede to this things fall apart whether you want them to or not. After Billy commits suicide Nurse ratched exclaims rather foolishly ‘We must continue with our daily routine’. This is a clear indicator of a conservative who cannot understand that things are falling apart, despite the sway of establishment, and that change is needed. A balance must be struck between the liberal and the conservative. There is an extended shot of Mcmurphy where he seems to be thinking about escaping or whether all this revolting is really worth it. It is a silent shot and stroke of brilliance by Milos Forman. When you watch this scene you realise that Mcmurphy is really meditating on his extreme behaviour and the rolling stone is actually slowing down and gathering moss. The events that follow this shot are heartbreaking but not surprising for the Great escape has come to an end and that is always the tragedy of life when we as individuals cannot fly anymore and are forced to stay grounded in the cuckoo’s nest. You will also notice that after the extended shot Mcmurphy does not say anything after that (I mean anything meaningful for he does utter to chief ‘lets go’ but that does not really count since they never went anywhere. Apart from that lets go he does not say anything) and it is brilliant for it is now left to see to what extent he has had a major influence on the other supporting characters. It is a stroke of genius in the screenplay.

The Fishing Scene debate?

This debate is neither here nor there. They say that it the scene does not fit etc but the point is it did not affect the structure of the film and therefore it can be allowed. These critics do not understand that films need some shocking elements to drive home their message. The fishing scene is that for ‘One flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest’ for it is the only chance we get of seeing the inmates interact with the wider world or how they would really function if the opportunity did come for them to embrace humanity in its totality. This scene was in the book so I do not understand the debate. This debate only serves to show that these so called top critics are not assessing the film within a proper theoretical frame work. It is clear from the fishing scene that these inmates have been so far removed from humanity that they cannot function without the hospitals supervision i.e. unless they have an influential character such a Mcmurphy in their midst; a man who knows they ways of the world. It is a part of their schedule that is lacking for they do go on drives in the bus but it seems as if it is only within the confines of the bus that they get a glimpse of the world outside. It is clear from the fishing scene that they are incapable of interacting with the wider world.  The critics  say that it appears irrational without any justification as to why this fishing trip occurs t but I have just outlined one rational basis for its inclusion and for me the debate is neither here nor there if you understand the cuckoo’s nest.

What some critics had to say about the film’s greatness?

I am not here to discuss the ratings of various critics; I am here to discuss what some had to say which would seem to detract from the film. How critics rate a film is not the point it is how they justify their rating that comes into question. James Berardinelli gives a very dim witted review of this film and one wonders why these people are called top critics. Here is the reason why he says the film falls shy of greatness: ‘Although the picture has not aged as well as some of its contemporaries, its themes remain germane, the story has lost none of its punch, and the performances retain their freshness. Viewed 30 years after its release, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest remains a very good motion picture, although one that perhaps just misses the pinnacle of greatness where its reputation suggests it resides.’ Although the themes remain germane (relevant) it ‘perhaps just misses the pinnacle of greatness.’ If the themes remain relevant then the film has reached the pinnacle of greatness. In his review he seems stuck between a rock and a hard place he seems to be saying that the film is not relevant however its themes remain relevant. If you say a film has not aged well what do you mean by this when this film is the only one of its kind that influenced several others such as ‘Awakenings’.  He is looking at it through the modern lens with no sense of the theoretical framework of the film which is why he claims: ‘The negative aspects of mental health care impugned by One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest are largely no longer in place today (electroconvulsive therapy is rarely used, frontal lobotomies are not performed), but the film's other themes are germane.’ Nice use of the word germane. In any case if you acknowledge that it is a duel between an autocrat and the individual then that is the real issue but there is more to it than this for the concept of the cuckoo’s nest has to be discussed. If you do not discuss it then you will never understand the significance of such a film. He says that the negative elements of mental health care ‘impugned ‘ by the film are no longer in place however that was the period and it cannot be ignored you have to be more consistent and say that these methods are used as elements of control. The film did not impugn them they showed the drastic means by which the autocratic environment crushes an individual. I am sure in an effort to maintain law and order the US still uses the lethal injection as opposed to the electric chair but it is still a method of murder. ‘A Beautiful Mind’ had a very dramatic scene where John Nash was exposed to electroconvulsive therapy although this film was released in 2001. It was simply the methods used at the time. In these times I am sure they have very intense drugs and injections to place the individual under control. The method changes but not the reality. I was amazed that Berardinelli  says that ‘Brave Heart’ is a great film when the themes are the same.  He must have thought that ‘Brave Heart’ aged well. Roger Ebert rightfully acknowledges that this is a great film although I was not too clear on his reasons for it when he asks the question:

 ‘Is One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest not a great film because it overly manipulative or is it a great film because it’s superbly manipulative? (His answer) I can see it through either filter. It remains enduringly popular as an anti-establishment parable, but achieves its success by deliberately choosing to use the mental patients as comic caricatures. This decision leads to the fishing trip, which is at once the most popular, and most false, scene in the movie. It is Mcmurphy's great joyous thumb in the eye to Ratched and her kind, but the energy of the sequence cannot disguise the unease and confusion of the men who, in many cases, have no idea where they are, or why.'

I have already given one rational reason why the fishing trip was included if one understands the concept of the cuckoo’s nest. There is no film that is not manipulative and lastly the mental patients are not comic caricatures. If they seem comic it is because of how we perceive them for there are few people that can hold a straight face when a crazy person starts to do something outrageous. It is in us to laugh when their extreme personality is manifested unless you’re the Nurse Ratched type and can hold a straight face all the time. As I explained without the theoretical framework one cannot understand how effective this film is.

This is without a doubt a great achievement in filmdom.