ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST (1975)

Last Sunday I finally managed to do what I have been threatening to do for a long time - go to a Secret Cinema event. Ever since I first heard about this brilliant idea I've been desperate to go, but it was only recently that I managed to pull my finger out and actually do something about it.

More on the Secret Cinema itself later, but by the time the mystery and intrigue evaporated and the opening credits of Milos Foreman's mid-seventies film began, I really was chuffed to bits. Not because it is such a classic and I'd love to sit through it again, but because, and I'm a little embarrassed to admit this, I have never actually seen the film. The closest I have come is when I saw the play at the West End starring Christian Slater which was very good and only made me feel more guilt for not having seen the film, or read the book by Ken Kesey for that matter.



Set in a mental institution is tells the story of R P McMurphy (Jack Nicholson) on the day of his admittance. What unfolds is at times a tale of liberation, at others a duel of minds and finally at others a bold statement about the use of certain medical procedures in these hospitals.

McMurphy has been in and out of prison, the most recent crime being statutory rape, when he decides to feign madness in an attempt to get away from a life behind bars for an easier life in an asylum. He gets his way and is put on a ward with a whole host of colourful characters and he goes about attempting to make himself as popular among the other patients as possible. This opening stage of the film is very light-hearted, with the madness of the patients being present humorously, almost giving them all a childlike innocence. McMurprhy's attempts to win them over are also comedic, sort of like a class clown at school attempting to prove his worth.

This all plays out nicely until it becomes clear that life in the Asylum is not as nice and easy as he had hoped. He becomes locked in a conflict with Nurse Ratched (Louise Fletcher), who oversees the ward. He tries to fight but its clear that she rules through fear and has control over all of the patience. McMurphy's attempts to overcome her and her stranglehold get more desperate, confrontational and violent until it all results in horrific consequences.

Nicholson and Fletcher give this battle a real heightened impact, they do not confront each other physically (until very late on) but each stare exchanged between the two of them ramps up the tension as they allude to the violence and evil that both are capable of. There is both a hatred and a mutual respect. A battle between good and evil, like a fantasy epic, but played out in the confines of a hospital ward.

It's almost as if Nicholson was born for this role. A massive personality, infectious, one moment hilariously zany, the next brooding with a malicious intensity. He has turned in some tremendous performances over the years in some fantastic films but I do think is the best I have seen of him. Narrowly pushing ahead of Jack Torrence in The Shining and The Joker in Tim Burton's Batman.

The acting is a real strong point of the film. However it isn't limited to just the two leads. There are some (now) very famous faces here that deliver top performances. Danny DeVito, Christopher Lloyd and Sydney Lassick all play patients on the ward and do so brilliantly. The over the top personalities of DeVito and Lloyd, in particular, are perfectly suited to the tone of this film. Each character has an arc, you join them on a journey through the film as the character develops and changes. It's not often that a supporting cast and characters are so fundamental to the progression of the story. I really developed an emotional attachment to all of the characters on show with a sequence containing a 'bonding field trip spontaneously organised by McMurphy, behind particularly heart warming. You can't stop yourself from grinning as these deranged individuals all go fishing while McMurphy tries to get some alone time with this girlfriend.

Milos Foreman has put together a film here that takes you through the full range of emotions. As I mentioned earlier, there are some very funny moments as the patients lark around during therapy, mocking one another and trying the patience of Nurse Radchet. Then the film takes a darker turn as it becomes a study of control before we are exposed to the true sadness behind the inmates, the majority of them there not against their will and the methods the staff use to keep order within the ward. Throughout there are very touching and liberating scenes as McMurphy helps the others to get one over on nurse Ratched. One scene I particularly enjoyed was when Ratched refused them permission to watch the World Series, so in response McMurphy leads the troops in watching a black tv screen while they cheer on an imaginary game of baseball. This topsy-turvy tone is one of the strengths of the film. You never know where it's going. The stark contrast between the tones mean that the funny bits become funnier, the touching moments really get you and the hard-hitting, shocking moments towards the films arresting and troubling climax, really do impact on you. if you make a mental note of where you are at the start of the film, then compare that to how you feel at the end, you really know that you've been taken on a bit of a ride.

Now that I've seen it, I can see why people have raved about it and consider it a classic. Made with real thought by Foreman, acted tremendously by it's cast, a career defining performance from Jack Nicholson ably supported by Louise Fletcher and others, it really is tremendous. It's also a very important film for the time it was made, exploring issues of mental illness, lobotomy and electrolysis treatment, it asks the question is anyone really crazy and does the treatment of the time really do any good. Although these issues are not as relevant in today's society with the advances of medicine and treatment it is still a very interesting commentary on the time and deserves to be seen for that reason and also because, aside from that, it is a masterpiece.

I can not recommend the Secret Cinema set up enough. I'm not going to go into too much detail because the pleasure that I found in it was all to do with the complete mystery of what I was entering into. If I were to give away what happened it may detract from people's enjoyment of future events. All I will say is that it is a brilliant way to enjoy a film in an incredibly interesting and interactive way and to see classic movies in different and compelling locations. The organisers transport you into the film and it's world with real care and attention to detail, so that by the time you settle down to watch, you are a part of what is happening on screen. - http://www.secretcinema.org/