Review of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) by Olavl — 07 Nov 2020

This is possibly the best film I have ever seen. Maybe not my favourite, but almost definitely the best. Only The Shining rivals it, in my opinion. Good job on Jack Nicholson and Scattman Crothers for being in both, by the way.

The beauty in its direction, the sometimes beautiful, but sometimes chilling score, and the absolutely mind blowing performances, they all mix together like the spices in a good meal. It's fantastic.

Jack Nicholson plays the raunchy, but somewhat likeable lead with biting wit and later crushing sentimentality. His other inmates, played by the likes of Danny Devito and Christopher Lee, are all fascinating characters in their own right, that you only get to scratch the surface of.

And, of course, the oscar winning performance of Louise Fletcher as the chilling, but relatable nurse, who truly believes she is helping the men she keeps captive, is one of the best performances I have ever witnessed.

The immense beauty in its finale, the biting relationship between McMurphy and Bramden, the hilarious actions that he does to prove his insanity, his slow decent into madness, the soul crushing emotional climax just before the end, it's too much to comprehend.

I can not describe how utterly and truly shocked I was after watching this movie. It is one of the greatest pieces of art ever made, a rare occasion where everything from the casting to the writing was so pitch-perfect it felt as if the stars had aligned just for this masterpiece to exist.

If you have not seen this movie, you are missing one of the seventies' greatest films. Watch it if you have ay self respect as a movie watcher.