Nicholson's Crowning Role

Rating: 10/10 (4 February 2019)

A swinging pendulum of a film that sways between uplifting comic satire and devastating social commentary, Milos Forman's dramatic adaptation of Ken Kesey's 1962 novel turns the preconceptions surrounding mental health on their heads as it showcases deep and relatable characters in the patients juxtaposed against the cold harsh stare of Nurse Ratched (Louise Fletcher). One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is a story told with a level of realism as to almost feel like a disturbing documentary, its a story of the misuse of power over those without the ability to defend themselves and the tragic consequences that can occur, while also driving home the fact that not every story has a happy ending.