One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest Movie

USA, 1975

Actors: Danny DeVito, Jack Nicholson, Louise Fletcher, Scatman Crothers, William Redfield, Michael Berryman, Peter Brocco, Dean R. Brooks, Alonzo Brown, Mwako Cumbuka, William Duell, Josip Elic, Lan Fendors

Director: Forman, Milos

Genre: Drama

Parables in filmmaking are rarity. But this movie is a great parable recognized as masterpiece for already many years.

Movie action takes place in psychiatric clinic where the character of Jack Nicolson – Patrick McMurphy fins himself one day. This clinic is not only a simple establishment but the whole system being led by Nurse Ratched (Louise Fletcher). It is so-called state into state which has its own formed rules. The ill take pills due to schedule and live according it too. Here McMurphy fells himself uncomfortable because of being a “free bird” even in such indoor places. He has his own principles and views; he used to breathe in deeply and set his own rules. The important thing for him is baseball matches, he has never missed them.

McMurphy isn’t ill as all people living here, at this section. But those people are wrecked by the system and afraid of giving a dare for that stupid clinic rules. Staying here he becomes the leader, the main patient, impudent person who always tries to break down the rules. He storms as a cold wind into hot room and brings something new for the people tired of timetable life. “RULES? PISS ON YOUR F--KING RULES, MISS RATCHED!...I WANT YOU TO KNOW SOMETHING RIGHT HERE AND NOW, MISS RATCHED. I'M NO LITTLE KID!...I AIN'T NO LITTLE KID! WHERE ARE YOU GOING TO HAVE CIGARETTES KEPT FOR ME, LIKE COOKIES, AND I WANT SOMETHING DONE!” He teaches his new friends how to play gaming-table poker, basketball and how to hide pills under the tongue.  He drives away the bus and takes everybody for fishing. He tries to prove that they are quite normal people, rather the medics are ill.

This people find their own egos and learn how to be free with McMurphy. Even mister Cheswick (Sydney Lassick) demands his cigarettes from Nurse Ratched, he doesn’t want to get them like a candies any more.

But changing the people who used to be slaves is a difficult thing…

We find out that many people living here do it because they want to live in such a way. They don’t wan’ to change anything and it was only a game for them, they can’t leave this place. He proposes Billy to break out but he refuses “I’ll be missing you, but I’m not ready to leave..”

All McMurphy’s dreams were broken; he understands that those born to crawl will never fly.

“One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest” is an American drama film directed by Miloš Forman. You can download “One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest” here!