One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest Review- By Michael Carlisle

Title: One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest
Director: Milos Forman
Year: 1975
Country: US
Language: English

There is no doubt that One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest has stood the test of time. After thirty seven years critics and casual filmgoers alike find themselves drawn to Jack Nicholson's portrayal of a rebellious man sent to a mental institution for "evaluation". When I first saw the film I was amazed and inspired. I grew to love the acting of Jack Nicholson and I would tell all my friends that they MUST see it. I thought I was doing some service to them, however after watching it again and really thinking about it, I realize that it was a mistake. Through the following paragraphs I will explain why I completely changed my mind about the One Flew Over the Cuckoo\s Nest. 

This Oscar winning film stars the great Jack Nicholson as McMurphy, a 38 year old rebel who just wants to let loose and live free. Sent to an institution to be evaluated after assaulting an underage girl, McMurphy feels the mental institution is a prison for the mentally disabled and he will use all the energy he has to fight against it. His enemy is Nurse Ratched (Louise Fletcher in an Oscar Winning performance) who supposedly contains all the qualities we fear within a female authority figure. She is stern and strict, less about humanity and more about duty and righteousness. She is calm, assertive, impassive and inflexible to the rules. The exact opposite of McMurphy and obviously is set up to be the villain of this place.

Wait? What? Stern, strict, dutiful, calm, assertive, impassive and righteous? This is the villain? They're in a mental hospital! The nurse NEEDS to have those qualities in order to do her job without finding herself in the institution as a patient. She is only looking out for people's needs. She needs to be strict and lay down the rules. She needs to be inflexible when it comes to schedule. She is trying to make the patients' lives a little better so they can be safe enough to leave as some of them  are not supposed to stay there their whole lives. She NEEDS to create a safe environment, she NEEDS to create routine. Sure she could create a strong emotional connection with her patients but maybe she's not supposed to do that, maybe it's not the best thing for the patient's health . However, McMurphy is pissing all over any kind of progress with his mindless rebellion.

Words of a man with no mental health education

I dislike how Murphy is made into the hero of the film. What kind of a hero is he? He uses mental patients as cheerleaders against Nurse Ratched and completely disregards their mental health. He sees mental disorders as a choice rather than an illness, something that can be cured if you want it to be cured. "You're no crazier than the average asshole" he says, thinking he just said something intelligent regarding mental health. He uses them for comedy fodder and self gratification. He also has a strong hate towards women. Think of all the women mentioned in this film, who are they? The girl he assaulted, the "evil" Nurse Ratched and his two prostitutes he brings into the building. McMurphy seems like the most insane person in the ward, his complete disregard for everybody and everything around him harms the entire system put in place and like a rabid dog, he must be put down in order to ensure the safety of others.

I understand the "message" of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest which is "rebel against authority" but I still think it could have done a much better job at making mental illness realistic. Every mental patient is one dimensional, they all seem a little odd but they all act very similar: slow with a hint of speech or mind problems. Unfortunately their illnesses are occasionally  used in comedic fashion, to make McMurphy seem like a fun guy to be with. I think this film hurts the mentally ill, by placing stereotypes left and right.The system is making them insane! Umm...no. The system is trying to make them better so they can actually live in the real world. The system is strict because it needs to be.

In conclusion, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is a poor man's "rebellion" film. It attempts to make villains out of honest people, and heroes out of jackasses. While it is amazingly acted by Jack Nicholson and Louise Fletcher, it is a film that fails on so many levels. A film seen by so many people needs a more realistic approach on mental illness, otherwise it will skew people's perception of mental illness and slow down scientific progress. I'm not sure why critics like this film so much, maybe they buy into the idea of McMurphy as a hero. Looking at it in an analytical/progressive sense I feel that McMurphy has done more harm than good. Piss on it! 1/5