Triumph of the Human Spirit!

Rating: 10/10 (21 April 2006)

I have been watching through a lot of the sixties and seventies movies recently and most do not stand the test of time. They have dated badly, the language is stilted and the camera work seems shoddy compared to today's standards. A select few have subject matter that carries over and still resonates to today's moviegoers. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is one of these films.
Why this movie works: We do not feel pity for the patients at the start. Instead, we identify with them. They are ordinary people, all original yet still very likable despite their various problems. The first group session could be a family gathering or a supper table discussion. We immediately bond with them. The introduction to the characters this way is very clever because it subtly reveals their character flaws without being blatantly obvious.
Enter Jack Nicholson, the charismatic and strong Randle Patrick Murphy. Murphy reaches out to every one of the patients in his own way and ends up changing their lives by breathing life into their solitary and lonely existence. How? He makes them laugh and shows them a good time. He treats them like human beings, not something to be shunned or cast down. Is he crazy? Who is to judge who is crazy or not? We all take our different paths and that is what this film reveals. It is a character study into every personality from Nurse Ratched to Turkle and how they intermingle with each other. Whether Murphy is crazy or not, he is a leader. I think only Jack Nicholson could have carried off being crazy and charismatic in this role.
I found myself smiling and hurting with these guys throughout the whole movie. The fishing trip, the Christmas party, the fights, awaiting their punishments. The movie quietly hits you on an emotional level until you are wrapped up into it. This is in large part do to the acting.
The acting in this movie is phenomenal. From the quiet, demure Martini, the noble and thoughtful Chief, the loud, raucous Murphy and the manipulative, controlling Ratched. Never have I saw such varied and powerful performances by so many talented actors.
Truly a great and original film.