The Story of Individuality over Conformity through Mental Illness

Rating: 8/10 (13 March 2019)

Adapting a book into a film is a very tough challenge, as they're two very distinct mediums that work in completely opposite formats. One is descriptive and the other is visual, meaning that regardless of the intent behind the making of either commodity, they need to translate well enough to work both ways. In the case of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, given that it's a universally loved feature that won all of the five main Oscar categories, one can imagine that even if it may not have pleased fans of the book, it still succeeded as a flick on its own. So how does it hold up after so many years?
The film centers around convict Randle Patrick McMurphy, who gets sent to a mental institution as a compromise away from prison. However, the martinet Nurse Ratched maintains her role as that of a subtly tough leader for all the patients, which causes McMurphy to rebel against such rules. One major aspect worth noting about the feature is the concept of individuality over conformity. Mac is somewhat hyperbolic in his personality, but his desire to bring a sense of reality to all the patients around him is worth admiring for how logical it is. The friendships that Mac makes with each mental patient are quite genuine and even bittersweet, down to the point where you can attach yourself to their own scenarios. Even if Mac can't realistically succeed in making their lives better, the multiple ways he has them live differently is nothing short of lovable.
Another big praise to give the feature is the acting, as each performer practically becomes the character they play; once you see them, you'll never forget them. Jack Nicholson outshines as MacMurphy, as he always provides something new to his delivery, including bizarre mannerisms around the patients. Louise Fletcher is appropriately unsympathetic as Nurse Ratched, who despite being strong willed in keeping the schedule monotonous, ultimately has little care for what the patients seek emotionally, making her truly despicable. In addition, the supporting players truly make the film memorable. They range from the anxious Billy Bibbit, to the childish Charlie Cheswick, to the delusional Martini, to the paranoid Dale Harding, to the aggressive Max Taber, and so much more. And then there's the presumably mute one, Chief, who has a lot of charming qualities to him outside of that. The relationship between him and Mac is very touching, as it details how much they both care for each other in spite of their quirks and conflicting lives.
Now admittedly, the film is pretty simplistic in terms of plot and character motivations, but I think that's why it works in the end. Because many of the characters live in their own small worlds, whatever happens to them is strictly concerning. So having somebody who isn't actually insane having those who are live a little outside of their "comfort" zones can speak to anybody who loathes the status quo. Without spoiling anything, the climax of the feature is a result of what can happen when two differing views clash without forming a compromise on a situation. Ironically, when you do the same old thing over and over as a method of helping your patients out, you barely end up helping them in the long run. Neither MacMurphy or Ratched were necessarily wrong on how mental patients should be treated, it's just a pure case of logic without reason, which are two things we need if we're all to get better.
Needless to say, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is a modestly written albeit brilliantly acted, well directed and emotionally haunting tale of what can happen when neither tradition nor distinction are ever put together. Of course nobody will ever forget the acting, but what those phenomenal performances were built on were the concepts of mental illness needing to be treated with more care than expected. I can't say for certain how faithful the film is to the book, especially in that regard, but I'm sure it knows all about the consequences coming from institutions not understanding the patient's true necessities. I highly recommend this to anyone who is yet to check the flick out for that factor alone. Maybe you'll think longer about the individual characters, but the main protagonist will be locked in our memories forever for the light he shines on men who would have never gotten that sense of free will anywhere else.