A few thoughts on this magnificent film

Rating: 10/10 (26 June 2002)

Well, my guess is that by the time i am finished writing this, there will be more than a couple spoilers, so those who havent seen it may wish to skip this review.
That being said, i have watched this movie many times now. Strangely enough, i had not seen it until just a couple weeks ago, when i bought it on DVD without having ever learned about it. Somehow i knew i would enjoy it. To understate my reaction, I was extremely impressed.
What truly stood out for me was Nicholson's performance. I have seen many of his movies, but i believe that this was the first film i have seen of his that took place in the earlier years (well, Easy Rider is another, but that isnt necessesarily a Nicholson movie). Very few actors that i have ever observed have the simple PRESENCE that this man does within this film. Every glimpse, every facial expression, his body language, even his clothing add to his performance.
One of my very favorite shots of the movie is during the first meeting that McMurphy is present. When he notices Nurse Ratched pestering Billy, the simple, unspoken action of him playing with his card deck is enough to convey more than any piece of dialogue ever could. The posture reeks of defiance, the eye contact and facial expression reveal his immediate understanding and suspicion of the dynamic beteween the nurse and the patients. It is no more than, perhaps, 5 seconds, but it truly left a mark on me.
Anyway, the real reason that i wrote this is because i had a thought regarding the interaction between McMurphy and the Chief. It seems to me that the Chief is representitive of the spirit world, and McMurphy is representitive of the hedonistic, purely human world. As the movie progresses, and McMurphy slowly changes his behavior, Chief actually seems to mirror the progression, except, he does it in the opposite fashion.
In a way, it seems as though the two characters are actually one soul. As McMurphy comes into the hospital, he is self-centered, arrogant, and seeks attention. However, as the movie progresses, his attitude changes, and he develops a legitimate concern and love for the 'patients' that inhabit the ward with him.
**DEFINITE SPOILER***
Just prior to the first electroconvulsive shock therapy, we are introduced to the fact that chief is neither deaf nor dumb, and is infact a passive observer within this hospital. Ironically, this moment of growth within chief, where he learns to trust mcmurphy with his secret, is mirrored by mcmuphy's initial steps of psychological and spiritual progression. After the ECT, he displays a greater interest in others, as well as a subtl appreciation of his position. Concurrently, Chief, though expressing his feeling of powerlessness, is growing in strength, feeding off of McMurphy's raw energy and enthusiasm.
As the next few scenes progress, with the climax of Chief taking McMurphy with him through one of the most compassionate death scenes i have ever witnessed, it felt as though we, as an audience, witnessed the assimilation of McMurphy's soul with that of Chief's.
No doubt that this particular interpretation is influenced by the naturally spiritual/enlightened nature of native americans, but even if completely unintentional, the spiritual connection and transition seem to be there.
Additionally, when it is revealed that most of the patients there are voluntary, a whole new dynamic is added, not only to the individual characters, but to the interactions between them. The idea that they voluntarily put themselves in such a place infers that they simply can not deal with leading their own lives, and require the close supervision and regimine that the hospital provides to them.
Because of this, it seems that all of the repressed personality traits within each character instead become the dominant traits due to the ability to act as 'strangely' as desired within such an environment. Once this is revealed, so much of the interaction becomes a 'play' of sorts.
**end of spoiler stuff***
well, all in all, its phenominal. i could keep going and going, but i wont at this time. I simply dont know what more to say. All of the performances are inspired and moving. There was not one character who I did not get to 'know' in one way or another. thanks for reading.