Only the finest

Rating: 10/10 (29 April 2019)

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is the rare brilliant adaptation of a novel to film that truly captures the spirit of the original text. Milos Forman's version of Ken Kesey's novel catapulted its status to that of legend, becoming one of the most renowned films of all time.
The credit for the quality of this film rests entirely upon the brutal, open, honest and raw performances of the cast. Jack Nicholson shines as per usual, but the stunning supporting cast of Will Sampson, Sydney Lassick, Brad Dourif and Christopher Lloyd, amongst others, give us a beautiful emotional story arch and a real exploration of what sanity is.
The film explores what it means to be sane, and the effects of institutionalism, through these characters, who immediately defy the natural order and become the protagonists against the normal hierarchy of the doctors and nurses. We find ourselves rooting for the rebelling patients, leading us to question our treatment and stigma towards mental disability, and the dehumanisation of mental patients in institutions.
Put simply, this is an example of a Hollywood ensemble cast of some of the greatest of all time in some of the performances of their careers. Nicholson, Lloyd, Louise Fletcher and Danny DeVito are all at their stellar best, and this is a pleasure to watch at the worst of times, a truly magical experience at the best.
This is a film that will challenge anyone's perspective on what it means to be human, and what it means to be mentally sound. It's emotionally raw, it holds nothing back, and it is nothing but the best that Hollywood has to offer telling one of the most famous stories of the 20th century.
This is on the list that everyone must see before they die. Truly a once-in-a-generation quality of film.