Classic Movie: ''One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest"

He is brought in from the outside world in a car. We have seen the car in the opening shot silhouetted against a lonely early morning sky. When McMurphy emerges from the vehicle to enter the sanitorium, we see that he is being played by Jack Nicholson. Any character played by Jack immediately makes the moviegoer sit up and take notice. With his portrayal of Randall Patrick McMurphy, he cemented not only his hold on the public's long-term love affair with him, but, also created one of cinema's most legendary roles.... ''One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest'' is one of the finest films ever made in Hollywood. Every film lover has seen it. Or, should see it immediately. The story is well known. A free-spirited misfit named McMurphy cons his way out of some prison time and has himself sent to a mental institution to work off his sentence. Once there, he comes across the patients who are under the cruel dominance of the head nurse, Nurse Ratched, played superbly by Louise Fletcher. At first, McMurphy observes her influence over them. They are terrified of her--- especially, a young man with a deep stutter named Billy Bibbit, played by Brad Dourif. As he quickly gets to know them, McMurphy makes it his mission to bring some life to these lost souls. That sets up the battle of the movie between the establishment authority of Nurse Ratched and the anti- establishment freedom represented by McMurphy. The movie moves back and forth between comedy and drama. The ending--- which I will not spoil for those who have never seen it [ And, shame on you for never seeing this movie ]--- is one of the best endings in movie history. It combines the sadness of life with the exhilarating joy of new-found freedom of life.... Like all great movies, ''One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest'' rewards the viewer every time you see it. You know what is coming, but, the joy of recognition is what washes over you. Take for instance, the boat trip that McMurphy hijacks the inmates on. There should be a smile on the face of the watcher because by this time in the movie we have embraced the characters so well. We feel sorry for them and this scene raises our hopes that this unscheduled excursion will awaken them further from their self-imprisonment. McMurphy leads them on the boat [ which, of course, he has stolen for them ] and sets sail out to the open ocean. These men have never been on a boat before, let alone experience the vastness of the ocean. They are scared, to be sure, but, also slowly comes a feeling of joy when they realize it is ok to let loose and have some fun. My favorite moment in the scene is when a simple, pudgy man named Cheswick, played by Sydney Lassick, steers the boat by himself. At first, he does not want to do it, but, McMurphy, his mentor, wants him to. After getting comfortable driving the boat, this childlike man sings softly to himself, ''I'm Popeye the Sailor Man''. It is a sweet and tearful moment because, for an instant, Cheswick has reverted to his childhood. He feels safe singing this song for no one to hear him. Unlike any therapy he was forced to receive at the institution, he has broken through and found comfort in his environment. The rest of his mates on the boat also experience joy. They learn to fish and how to bait a hook. While McMurphy takes pleasure with his girlfriend he has brought aboard, the other men stumble upon a big fish to haul in. Sure, this moment is somewhat false and contrived, but, it works splendidly in the movie. While McMurphy tries to help them haul it in the boat careens out of control. It is a wonderful madness that these men find themselves in. By the end of the scene, after they have been caught by the authorities, the boat pulls ashore. From the dock, the hospital officials see the inmates holding a big fish. They also see the patients laughing. And, probably for the first time in their lives, they are proud of themselves. And, we, the viewer, are also proud of them.... McMurphy brings more of life to them as the movie moves forward. He wants to watch the World Series, but, runs into the stone wall that is Nurse Ratched.She rigs a group vote in her favor by saying all of the patients should vote on the ward, even though, most of the other patients have no sense of reality. After angrily exchanging words with her, McMurphy has a genius idea: he invents the World Series in his mind. He gives the commentary to the other inmates on the imaginary game, and, in doing so, brings out the fan in all of them. Soon, they are loudly cheering for a non-existant game. Now, this scene, so well-played by Nicholson, is meant to be comic. And, it is. Another, less experienced director would have used the patients reactions as a way of making fun of them, but, ''Cuckoo's Nest''' director, the brilliant Milos Forman, uses it to further bond our relationship with these trapped men. He shows the laughs, yes, but, there is also a touching charm to the scene. These men so desperately want to be normal that they go along with any idea. It can be destructive, as Nurse Ratched is with them, but, it can also be sweet and funny in the care of McMurphy. McMurphy is not trying to con them or control them. Just the opposite, he cares about them and wants to make them happy. Nurse Ratched won't allow them to have real fun, so, McMurphy creates the fun for the men.... There are other wonderful moments in this wonderful movie. The basketball game with the Chief. McMurphy throwing a goodbye party, complete with booze, music, and girls.And, the shocking scene of shock therapy. Beneath the comic moments lies the tragedy of mental illness. These men have been torn apart by everyday life, for reasons never really gone into. The exception is the backstory involving Billy Bibbit. Billy clearly hates his mother [ who is the best friend of Nurse Ratched ] and the genesis of his stutter comes from his fear of his mother. Billy comes to idolize McMurphy. But, so do the other patients. His influence spreads consciously and unconsciously over them. Suddenly, they challenge Nurse Ratched in group therapy, something inconceivable only a short time earlier. They question why things are run the way they are and why they have to conform. This is the heart of the power of the movie. McMurphy has proven to be good for them and they respond. McMurphy is not show-boating or trying to control them, and they respond. He wants them to stand up for themselves. The open defiance of authority is as liberating for the audience as it is for the patients. Nurse Ratched is doing her job on one hand, but, she also abuses her power in a sadistic way. As the inmates rebel, she realizes that she is getting weaker and losing them. And, she blames McMurphy..... The final showdown between Nurse Ratched and McMurphy, over the fate of Billy Bibbit, may be the most powerful scene in the movie. Not the most powerful acted scene [ that scene is the late night talk between Chief Bromden and McMurphy ], but, the most powerful emotionally charged scene. What has preceded it is the opening up of Bibbit's character to become a full human being for the first time in his life. Again, I do not want to spoil the key plot points too much, but, when McMurphy does react against Ratched the audience reaction is extraordinary. Audiences throughout the world cheered this moment. This is a violent moment, yet, the audience is firmly behind the idea of violence. Taking a step back from the film, if you were a real life observer of this moment, would you react the way the other patients do? Is a violent response against a cruel woman justified? She is not evil, in the sense of a mass murderer is evil, but, she is a mind controller for the most vulnerable of men. When you see the scene, are you on the same  wavelength as McMurphy? After the buildup throughout the movie to this pay-off scene I have to say that I might have done what McMurphy did also. His hands could have been mine.....The final moments of this movie remain my favorite part. It is sad, but, the freedom that the Chief decides for himself elevate the spirit. There is no better ending for this movie than the sink through the window. The music swells up, along with the shots of the awakened patients. Taber reacts first, followed by the quiet looks of the others. Taber, played by Christopher Lloyd, starts whooping and hollering in joy. Something tells me that McMurphy was applauding too.... ''One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest'' remains firmly in my top five movies that I love. It won a slew of Oscars and has been rightfully called a classic. It seems to be on most lists of best movies. I really do not put much stock on those types of lists because it all comes down to one person's opinion. If you have never seen it then treat yourself to fine, quality moviemaking, a nice break from ''reality'' shows of stereotypical behavior and constant bleeping of swearing. McMurphy liberates the spirit and the souls of those in the asylum. He will also liberate the viewer.... Its medication time.....