Nicholson's best!
Having
witnessed some incredibly weak, and occasionally
horrid stage adaptations of Broadway plays, it is
with great joy that I announce the utter
brilliance of the Jack Nicholson led cast of the
Milos Forman film "One Flew Over the Cuckoos
Nest."
As Randle P. McMurphy, Nicholson brings an
electricity, energy and mesmerizing presence
that almost dares to be turned away from...as
the foil to Louise Fletcher's Nurse Ratched,
Nicholson is daring, bold and constantly
exciting to behold. However, he is not alone.
The entire film radiates with an excitement that
is seldom captured effectively onscreen. Based
on the novel by Ken Kesey, "One Flew Over the
Cuckoo's Nest" is funny yet frightening,
original yet entirely believable. Having worked
in inpatient psychiatric care for years, I found
myself recognizing these characters, patients
and professionals, and realizing that there was
a fine line between them.
Along with Nicholson and Fletcher, the
supporting cast shines including the wonderfully
understated Will Sampson as Chief, Brad Dourif
as Billy Bibbitt, Danny DeVito as Martini and
many, many others including Scatman Crothers and
Christopher Lloyd.
The screenplay by Bo Goldman contains wonderful,
authentic dialogue with a well-developed and
constantly involving plotline.
From the silence of Sampson's Chief to the
rowdiness of Nicholson's McMurphy, the entire
cast melds together and forms one of cinema's
best ensemble performances. Every aspect of this
film's production design is stellar from the
sets to the costumes to the score to the
cinematography. Quite simply, it excels in every
area.
The film, originally a Broadway production,
never feels like one. The staging is such that
the film plays like the sum of its parts...it
feels whole, looks whole and is incredibly
satisfying.
Much like many of my truly favorite films, this
film isn't what I'd term "enjoyable" in the
lighter sense of the word. Yet, it is incredibly
enjoyable and deeply satisfying cinema.
Nicholson gives, in my opinion, the greatest
performance of a mind-bogglingly wonderful
career. In his first theatrical performance,
DeVito is simply hypnotic. While Fletcher never
found a role again that revealed the quality of
this performance...nonetheless, in this role she
was simply powerful and commanding.
"One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" is a scary
film...a sad film...and yet, in many ways, it is
a celebration of life and freedom and community.
It is a film that will stay with you long after
you have watched it...and you will remember the
lines and the faces and the stares and the
feelings. It is American filmmaking at its
absolutely finest.
©
Written by Richard
Propes
TC Candler's Comment
One of the
very best films of the 1970's... Nicholson is at
his peak... And the ending is pitch perfect.
Jacob
Hall's Comment
N/A
