A sensation back in the day

Rating: 7/10 (14 January 2020)

A sensation back in the day, this seems more mundane today. I guess this world of mistreated mental health patients has been so well documented, even if not too much changes. The film begins sensationally with Jack Nicholson really enjoying himself as the new inmate, meeting and inter relating with the existing inmates. This is Milos Foreman at his best, allowing and encouraging his actors to find their inner characters and develop a wildly exciting and believable situation to develop. Unfortunately the serious matter of misuse of what we now know as ECT comes to the fore and if the film doesn't quite degenerate into farce, it is some way from the original Foreman concept of the people being what is important.