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The final task in junior high, our English teacher Mr Zeller gave me straight A+ for this work. We watched the film in class over about a week and then had one weekend to write the review. I remember searching the whole city looking for a video library that had it in stock. In the end the search paid off and I received a better mark than the dux of English, Michael Holt.

The Milos Forman classic, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, has recently been digitally re-mastered and re-released for the next generation. Winner of five Academy Awards including Best Actor, Best Picture and Best Director, it was only a matter of time before the film, starring Jack Nicholson, received the facelift.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is chilling tale of a feisty misfit named Randle Patrick McMurphy (Nicholson) who is placed in a mental institution for examination. It is not long before McMurphy bumps into the tyrannical Nurse Ratched, played by Oscar winning Louise Fletcher, whose gentle smile disguises her sinister determination to obliterate any hint of originality or spirit among the men in her ward. Icy clashes between the two are frequent as McMurphy stands up to the rights of himself and fellow-patients.

Originally a 1963 Broadway production based on Dale Wasserman’s adaptation of Ken Kesey’s novel, the lead actor Kirk Douglas eventually purchased screen rights to One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. During the next 13 years, Douglas struggled to raise funds for the film production and eventually passed on the project to his son, Michael. With the help
of Saul Zaentz, the young Michael Douglas and renowned Czech director Milos Forman created what was considered one of the greatest film productions of all time. Grabbing all five top Oscars (Best Picture, Actor (Nicholson), Actress (Fletcher), Director and Screenplay) in 1975 and the British Academy Award for Best Picture in 1976, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest was definitely a rare film.

The excellent performances by Jack Nicholson and Louise Fletcher are backed up by the cast of lesser roles including Sydney Lossick (Cheswick), William Redfield (Harding) and the still young Danny DeVito (Martini). For the role of Billy, Forman made the excellent choice of introducing Brad Dourif, a very talented young actor. It is an undisputed fact that casting in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is one of the films strong points. “I think it is the film people have been waiting for from Jack Nicholson,” says Douglas. “It fits classically into his non-conformist image.” Director Milos Forman specifically praises Louise Fletcher for her role as Nurse Ratched. “She is dangerous,” Forman says of the character, “because she really believes in what she is doing.”

Cinematography is another highlight of the feature which surreptitiously combines with other characteristics to completely immerse the audience in the plot. Director of photography Haskell Wexler has managed, using a variety of lighting and camera effects, to create a very believable atmosphere. A lot of work went into creating the perfect picture and was rightly awarded the Best Screenplay Oscar.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is an unforgettable film that anyone remotely interested in cinema cannot afford to miss. While the ending is slightly disappointing, it is sure to please almost all film viewers. Fans of Nicholson will agree that it is one of his greatest achievements while others will simply enjoy the explosive conflicts between McMurphy and Ratched, and the occasional hilarious comments from some of the patients. This is not the easiest film to follow, but those who persevere will be rewarded. Undoubtedly one of the greatest cinema experiences yet, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest was, and still is, an excellent film.