Based on a novel by
Ken Kesey, and later a play by
Dale Wasserman, this film won 5 Oscars including; Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor and Best Actress.
Though, the film's stand-out of many strong points is the acting. Within a large and extensive cast, there is not a single bad actor and a handful of outstanding ones.
Jack Nicholson, playing the hot-tempered convict R.P. McMurphy, and his usual psycho routine are as convincing as ever. As is,
Louise Fletcher in her role of Nurse Ratched, without a doubt one of the greatest film villains of all time. She's callous, unpredictable and a role not many actresses would be able to succeed in doing so to any positive effect. Of course, the supporting cast are outstanding. It's brilliant to see pre-stardom talents, such as
Christopher Lloyd,
Danny DeVito and the undermined
Brad Dourif really go into there roles. Some lesser known actors, such as
Sydney Lassick as the child-esque Cheswick,
William Redfield as the opinionated Harding and the mesmerising performance of
Will Sampson as the unforgettable Chief.
The screenplay and directing of the film is sensational, and the scripting is quick-paced, but this never becomes it's downfall and simply adds to the sheer insanity of the film itself. Even though, the pace's of the film itself does halt when need be, even better, it actually conveys the more tragic, dramatic scenes even more touching and heartbreaking. The directing, from the excellent
Milos Forman, is also something to shout about very much.
I did find this film a little bit like watching a play at times, but inevitably it was very well made, particularly those featuring Jack Nicholson, being improvised to some extent. I really enjoyed the scenes, as they were allowed to evolve. In my humble opinion, it's a magnificent film that deserves all the awards.
