I've seen the movie a couple times, the first time about 20 years ago,
much as it pains me to admit it.
The film focuses on Randle P. "Mac" McMurphy, played skillfully
by Nicholson, who is moved from the prison system into a mental hospital
after causing one too many problems. Initially, he is sent there simply
for evaluation, to determine if he has some sort of mental illness.
It doesn't take long for him to figure out that the mental hospital,
while regulated, is a much freer environment than the prison. He befriends
the more lucid members of his ward, many of whom seem normal except
for a few quirks. It doesn't take Mac long to begin stirring up trouble,
trying to make opportunities for these inmates that they don't normally
receive, such as watching a baseball game on TV or taking a fishing
outing. Ultimately, though, Mac truly wants to escape.
I don't know if it's because I have seen it more than once or because
it made an impression on me, but I remembered a good deal of this movie.
I did forget a few key moments, so I was surprised to see them play
out again.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is a very quiet film, and Forman
wanted it to be very claustrophobic, initially resisting the idea of
leaving the hospital grounds at all. Yet, the producers prevailed on
him to include a key moment from the book, and he said in the DVD commentary
that he's glad he did.
On the commentary track, Forman and two of the producers, including
Michael Douglas, discussed the casting of the film. They said that,
while they knew they wanted a star for the lead, they deliberately chose
unknown actors for the other roles. It's a measure of the quality of
their casting that so many of those unknowns are now respected in their
field, such as Danny DeVito and Christopher Lloyd, and the prolific
character actors Sydney Lassick and Vincent Schiavelli.
The most serendipitous casting decision was of Sampson, who played
Chief Bromden, the towering silent Native American. This part was difficult
to cast because it called for a tall Native American man, which is rare.
Using some connections, they heard about an artist from Yakima, Washington,
who might be a good choice. As soon as stepped off the plane, they knew
he had the look, and they asked him to join them for a reading. When
they found he could act, they knew they had their man.
The cast was an important aspect to the movie's success, in part because
of Forman's directing techniques. He arranged for the actors to follow
some patients at a mental hospital and pay attention to their mannerisms.
During the shooting, he took a novel approach, having one camera focus
on the important characters while another camera roamed around, getting
reactions. This meant the actors always had to be in character.
When Nicholson, who was late due to another project, arrived for the
shooting, he was unnerved that he couldn't get these actors to break
character, even for lunch.
It didn't take Nicholson long to adapt, and Forman credits him for
improvising some of Mac's dialogue. Occasionally, this was planned,
for example, in the scene where he is processed by the head doctor.
Dean R. Brooks, who played Dr. Spivey, was actually the administrator
of the mental hospital where the film was shooting, in an empty wing.
He and Nicholson were not given any dialogue. Rather, Forman gave him
a file and told him to process McMurphy like he would any other patient.
Nicholson answered in character. One of the hardest tasks of the editing
process, Forman said, was boiling down the 20 minutes of footage into
only six, because it was all so compelling.
That is really what makes this movie so watchable, even after repeated
viewings. As Forman said in the commentary, it's the fascination of
watching other people and how they behave. These actors were always
in character, never knowing when the camera would find them, and there
are a lot of marvelous moments that would have been hard to orchestrate
otherwise.
When I first watched the film, I didn't know much about author Kesey,
but since then, I've read The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test, as
well as other contemporary accounts of his cross-country journeys with
a bus full of young people in the '60s. In keeping with Kesey's views,
the movie takes a firm stance against regimentation and conformity,
coming down on the side of passion, exploration and individuality. Yet,
it acknowledges that often, the square peg is eventually forced into
the round hole, regardless of the damage that may do.
Mac, I think, can be seen as an alter ego for Kesey, who rounded up
a group of misfits to travel the country, sample psychedelic drugs,
and try to find a higher truth. While he was trying to teach these people
to loose their reins, follow their instincts, they looked increasingly
to him for guidance and inspiration. And while he was a strong personality
who initially welcomed this adoration, eventually it became a burden
and an annoyance. Perhaps he feared that this would ultimately lead
to his self-destruction. Predictably, when he decided to end his journey,
many of his followers were disappointed. It must have been frustrating
for him that he'd spent so much time trying to teach people to think
for themselves, and all he'd managed to do was get them to think like
him.
I'm sure it was gratifying to him to write a book like One Flew
Over the Cuckoo's Nest, where at least one character finds his own
inner strength. I won't say more, for fear of spoiling the movie, even
though clips have been shown widely of some of the key moments. I will
say, though, that Kesey sued over the adaptation, because he was upset
that the film didn't show things through Chief Bromden's point of view,
as the book does.
To modern viewers, this kind of role is perfect for Nicholson. However,
as Douglas explained in the commentary, at the time of this movie, Nicholson
was seen as an intellectual. This was the first film that hinted at
a darker, more dangerous side.
I'd be interested to hear from anyone with knowledge of the current
mental health system to learn what has changed since the 1970s. While
I know there have been many changes, several years ago, I attended a
dinner with my father, who's an osteopath. The keynote speaker advocated
electro shock therapy as a cure for bipolar disorder, which upset my
dad greatly, who considered walking out. I understand, though, that
it is still used on occasion.
Even if there have been strides in the mental health system, there
is still a tendency within our society to seek conformity. This movie's
statements about that are just as relevant today as when the film was
made.
