200 Movies, 1 Woman, 1 Blog

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, 1975, USA

This book is an adaptation of the novel of the same name by Ken Kesey. I read it a number of years ago, and actually didn’t like it very much. There were many aspects that I did like, but, ultimately it didn’t really stick with me. I certainly recognized it’s brilliance, though. I knew that would be an obstacle going into the movie. But I also knew that, in many cases, I’d read books that didn’t impress me, and ultimately loved the film adaptations. Three examples would be The English Patient, Stardust (which is actually one of my favourite movies, the plot changes that the filmmakers made it a far more compelling story), and A Very Long Engagement. With The English Patient and Stardust, the problems were related to style. I didn’t especially like the way The English Patient was written, and A Very Long Engagement was awkwardly translated.

I thought the movie was very well done, especially in terms of characterization, but, like the novel, I didn’t love it. I guess the storyline just isn’t something that moves me. I actually found the novel and the movie to be a very interesting look at a fictional mental health facility, but I just never got much out of the story.

R.P. McMurphy (Jack Nicholson) pretends to be mentally ill in order to serve his prison sentence in a mental hospital. While everyone he encounters is skeptical about the state of his mental health, they allow him to remain in the hospital. There, he befriends a group of mentally ill men, and aggravates Nurse Ratched (Louise Fletcher) for his own amusement. Ratched is a cruel, authoritarian woman, and upon realizing this, McMurphy rallies his fellow patients and actively rebels against her.

What impressed me most were the performances in the movie. One of the things I respected so much about the book was the characterization. Both McMurphy and Ratched were memorable characters. Ratched was terrifying. Nicholson and Fletcher were both amazing in their roles. Fletched perfectly embodies the terror Ratched had in the book. She is cold, manipulative, and very cruel. She is one of the best villains I’ve ever seen, and certainly the best female villain I’ve ever seen in a movie. Both of them won Oscars for their performances and they were well deserved. This movie is also the second movie ever to receive Oscars in all five major categories (Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director and Screenplay).

I respected this movie quite a bit. I respect the story and the acting. Therefore, despite the fact that I didn’t especially care for it, I highly recommend it. It’s one of those situations where I see the brilliance, but for whatever reason, I just can’t enjoy the story of the movie. Has anyone else seen a movie that they respect, but cannot enjoy, for one reason or another?