Review of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) by Mark C — 12 Apr 2012
Wow, just wow! A brilliant masterpiece of a film.
This is one of those films that can't believe I waited so long to see. From the first frame to the very last, I was completely amazed and taken in by the sheer brilliance of it all. Everything about it is stunning...the acting, direction, writing, emotion, conflict, humor, tragedy, realism, depth. It delivers on every level. It is one of my absolute favorite films of all time! There is so much that can be said about this film, but I will just mention one of the things that I loved, the acting.
The acting in this film is unbelievable. First off, Jack Nicholson delivers what must be the best performance of his career. Astounding in every way! The emotion, depth, and realism he brings to the character is outstanding. He is undoubtably deserving of his Oscar and proves himself worthy to be considered one of the best living actors. Louise Fletcher gives one the most memorable performances in cinema history as Nurse Ratched. At first I wasn't impressed with her performance; I found it emotionless, wooden, and boring. However, as the film progressed, I realized how fitting the performance was to her character. Even by being seemingly calm and emotionless, she still gets into your head. I frequently found myself hating her with a passion, but at the same time she remained entirely human. She, too, deserved her Oscar for her memorable and unique performance. The supporting cast was perfect. The film easily could have sunk in this area, but the 8 or so main patients all delivered a different aspect to the film. I particularly enjoyed Danny DeVito's role.
Jack Nicholson is perfect in this film, no doubt, but the performance that made this film for me...Brad Dourif. He gives a fantastic, unmissible, touching performance. He steals every scene he is in and really makes the film so much more. One of my favorite scenes in the movie, although tragic, is the second to last scene. It was at that time I completely fell in love with the film. He gives a brilliant performance and could have easilty taken home the Oscar that year for best Best Supporting Actor, but he only received the nomination.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is fantastic! I love this masterpiece and I recommend it to everyone.
This review of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) was written by Mark C on 12 Apr 2012.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest has generally received very positive reviews.
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