Disappointing

Rating: 6/10 (29 April 2006)

I read the book One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest in my Messages in Film class at school. I adored it. What an amazing story! The characters were captivating and well developed. It is one of the best books I had ever read. Then, my teacher says we are going to watch the movie. She told us about how great it was and all the Academy Awards it had won, and I was excited. I didn't really expect it to be able to live up to the book, but I knew it would still be a good film. I even got on this website, and low and behold, it is the number 12 movie of ALL TIME! I was surprised and now my expectations were a little higher. Then I watched the movie. I was shocked at how horrible of an adaptation it was. Not only that, but even if you completely forgot about the book, it was not even a good film! Where was the Christ imagery? McMurphy is the embodiment (other than his love of women) of Jesus Christ in the book. He lays down his life for the good of the other men. By the time McMurphy is wheeled back into the ward after the lobotomy in the book, all the men are gone except Chief and two others. Why? Because he gave the men strength enough to realize they did not need this place! He sacrificed himself FOR A REASON! In the movie, all the men are still in the ward! What was the reason for his sacrifice then? Also, why are the men so hateful towards each other in the movie? In the book, they band together as brothers. Again, in the movie the Chief takes a back seat. He does not even come along for the boat ride. Without delving into the Chief, you miss the whole point of the book: The Combine. The book was about the sacrifice of one man to rid one small part of the world of evil and totalitarianism. They don't even scratch the surface of an evil reign in the movie. In a word, this movie was abysmal. Not even Jack Nichlosan's (SP) performance can save it.