A Nicholson tour de force

Rating: 8/10 (26 October 2006)

Every great once in a while there comes along an acting performance which elevates a very good movie and turns it into something very special. Jack Nicholson gives just such a performance in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. He is so good, so perfect in every way, that you are willing to overlook any minor quibbles you may have with the film and simply appreciate the magic and majesty of his performance. This is certainly not a perfect film by any means but the story is so powerful that it almost couldn't help but be a success no matter who was in the lead role. Placing the manic, irrepressible Nicholson center stage takes what always would have been at worst simply a good movie and makes it into something truly memorable.
Set in bleak 1960s Oregon, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest follows Randle Patrick McMurphy, as played by Nicholson, a troublemaking prisoner sent to a mental institution even though he is rather clearly not insane. At the very least when compared to the men who will become his fellow patients on the ward McMurphy is clearly the most sane, the most "normal" of the bunch. The men he encounters have been beaten down by the system. They've had the individuality, in fact their very lives, sucked out of them by the oppressive atmosphere in the institution. To these men, McMurphy will be something of a savior as he tries to show them there can still be more to life than their dreary day-to-day routine, some hope and joy even behind and hopefully one day beyond the institution's walls. Where McMurphy with his boundless energy, sharp wit and zest for life attempts to bring life into the ward he meets his match in the cold, domineering Nurse Ratched, played with perfect icy detachment by Louise Fletcher. Nurse Ratched very much likes having the men of the ward firmly under her thumb and will not react kindly to having her methods and authority questioned by the brash newcomer in the group. The conflict between McMurphy and Ratched is quite clear. They are fighting a battle for the minds, the very lives, of all the men on the ward. Both Nicholson and Fletcher fall into their roles perfectly. No accident both walked away with Oscars.
Where Nicholson and Fletcher are clearly the key figures here the rest of the cast is spot-on as well. Each of the patients on the ward is quite unique and all of the actors involved do a terrific job of bringing these characters to life. Notable in what were very early performances in their careers are some soon-to-be familiar faces, Danny DeVito and Christopher Lloyd. Brad Dourif as stuttering Billy, Will Sampson as silent Chief...the list of quality performances is staggeringly impressive. These fine actors bring this tremendous story to life. There are some moments which may seem a little out of place, perhaps a little forced. And there are times where things move a little more slowly than one might like. But whenever the movie threatens to really begin to drag there is a burst of Nicholson energy to propel it forward. Enjoyable and thought-provoking, in the end the film manages to be both uplifting and heartbreaking all at once. From the screenwriters to the director, the cinematographer and the wonderful cast it's a brilliant job all around.