The true meaning of the cuckoo' s nest!

Rating: 9/10 (26 February 2007)

Excellent film in all aspects. as a viewer, i felt that i was a patient myself. it was interesting to see how the patients became all self conscious about who they were.jack being able to persuade them to change their routine schedule was proof that not all patients need the sort of therapy mental institutes provide.If not in some cases mental institutes help patients worsen their condition due to over medication and irrelevant conversations initiated by the nurses. it was interesting to see for every opportunity the patients had to escape, something always retained them to stay. for most of them, the institute was their home. they would not be able to function in society and may face rejection by others due to their stigmas. their fear of rejection is what kept them isolated in the hospital, not the barbed fence and secured windows. their only family was the ones inside the institute. Jack brought awareness to each individual in the hospital and made them realize they had a voice. when he died, a part of them died with him!the native Chief represents an important factor in this film. natives are the most discriminated people of our history.we see that he to is afraid to escape into the real world because of the racism. when he observes what is done to Jack in the end of the film, he knows he is better off out in the real world. He takes the risk so he can go to Canada where most of the reserves for natives are held. there he will be accepted. Billy killing himself expresses how the doctors and nurses had power to fear and control the patients using their weaknesses in character and personality. it is a sort of brainwash and manipulation tactic hospitals use to overpower their patients. taking away their freedom of speech, will to live is was really makes the patients ill. taking away their self- consciousness and alienating them of their existence. one normal man awakens the ones who are asleep and shows them they have freedom of speech and a chance for change. when his actions begin to work, the doctors fear him, so they shock him until he is a vegetable.this is a great metaphor on how the government has control over the citizens using tactics to manipulate us. making us believe everything we see even if it is not the truth. we as humans live in high secure society, but don't realize it.more and more are political systems are taking control of our freedom to live in order to have complete control our way of thinking and living. this resembles the metaphor behind this film. a good example is president Jfk who was assassinated because he wanted change and good for the society. Same with jack, he is assassinated from his essence as a great human being,to be left with no more identity and self awareness of himself.it easier for the government to stuff patients with pills so they don't interfere with the ideal society they are trying to construct with perfect flawless people.this film expresses how sometimes for some people, illness is socially constructed and not biological related. pressures from the ideal society is what makes them sick. two thumbs up for the written script and performances in this epic film!