One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest - There's been a lot of talk here lately about Top 3's, Top 10's, Top 100's, etc. This movie is absolutely Top 5 for me. Not Top 5 mental institution movies. Top 5 overall. I love every second of it. And even though I've seen it many times, I still found myself holding my breath and watching in shock as McMurphy choked the shit out of Nurse Ratched. Speaking of whom, let's talk about her for a while. She's commonly viewed as one of the most vile, evil bitches ever portrayed on screen. That's true, but you really need to keep an eye on her throughout. She's mostly pleasant, doing her job, and keeping order. It's only when McMurphy comes along and tests her authority that she shows cracks in her foundation. Of course, she has that evil moment at the end where she pushes poor Billy Bibbit back over the edge after he's finally had his breakthrough, but before that, her nasty ways are very subtle. One that I just caught for the first time comes during the group session before some of them get hauled off for some electroshock. Charley Cheswick is bitching about his cigarettes and keeps standing up to demand them from her. She admonishes his ass back into his seat but he keeps getting up again and again. Finally, McMurphy shouts him back into his seat, and she she shoots McMurphy an angry look that's most telling about her character. She should be focused on Charley Cheswick, the dude who's freaking out, but instead she's on McMurphy, who's just proven he can take away her control. She's always been about repressing these men, and not helping them, and she doesn't need some rabble-rouser coming along and raising their spirits. Of course, this movie's all about repression and freeing your mind. Sex has a lot to do with it. Mr. Harding has problems with his wife, but won't talk about it, and it's hinted he might be gay. Billy Bibbit is horny but has no confidence in himself. When he finally gets to do it with a local floozy, Nurse Ratched tells him he should be ashamed of himself. He says he's not, in the only moment of the movie when he loses his stutter, but she keeps at him, and he freaks and kills himself. Then we're finally to the moment when McMurphy attacks her and there's an interesting shot. He's hit and knocked out from behind by one of the orderlies, and the point of view moves to behind him as he collapses on top of her like a man who just blew his load. She, however, is coughing and choking, and symbolically rejecting this form of pleasure. Repressed bitch. I could go on and on. I'm working on a theory that McMurphy might be God, but I haven't fleshed it out yet. But like I said, this movie is Top 5 for me. I love every bit of it. I love how each member of the ward has his own personality and is an individual and no one's just banging his head against the wall and rubbing his own shit into his hair. This is a great, great film.
Did it deserve to win?: There are other worthy candidates from that year, but I won't even bother to list them. This is your winner and deservedly so.
(out of 5)
Up next: Rocky