One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest

One of Miloš Forman’s most important films – alongside Hair and Amadeus – made after he emigrated from Czechoslovakia to the United States, and at the same time one of the most memorable works of American cinema of the 70s. Con artist and trickster Randall McMurphy (Jack Nicholson) decides to feign mental illness to avoid prison, where he would have to perform hard labor. Instead, he ends up in a psychiatric ward ruled with an iron hand by Nurse Ratched (Louise Fletcher), who sees the free-spirited and rebellious McMurphy as a threat to the stability of the hospital community. A fierce conflict arises between the two protagonists, as well as a few vividly drawn supporting characters, reflecting a clash of entirely different attitudes, worldviews, and sensitivities. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest has gone down in history as one of the most profound manifestos of counterculture, as it tells the story of the deeply human need for self-determination, nonconformity, and spiritual independence. The film was named a masterpiece right upon its release – suffice it to say that it is one of only three films in the history of cinema to have won the “Big Five” at the Oscars: Best Picture, Actor, Actress, Screenplay, and Director.