Finally watched One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, and am left wondering if I missed something fundamental, or if time has simply diluted the original strength of the concept. Most people seem to agree it’s an absolutely classic piece of cinema – it’s ranked number seven on the IMDB, won five academy awards and is ranked eighteenth on Lovefilm ((Though to be fair the Lovefilm rankings are ever so slightly skewed towards the young and male demographic, the top twenty including all three Lord of the Rings films, and season one of 24.)). It’s certainly beautifully acted, starkly designed and shot to convey the bleakness of the setting, and with a solid premise, but I found most scenes frustrating rather than engaging. I suppose most people establish some emotional connection with the cast, either Jack Nicholson’s character or some of the other patients, but I completely failed to make that link.
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