movie Review:
ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST
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One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975), directed by Milos Forman is a dramedy starring Jack Nicholson, Louise Fletcher, Will Sampson, and Danny Devito, among others. The film is based on a book of the same name, written by Ken Kesey, and is often considered to be one of the greatest films of all time. It takes place in a psychiatric hospital and focuses on the arrival of R. P. McMurphy, a new patient at the hospital who pretends to have a mental illness in order to avoid work at a prison farm. At the hospital, he meets head-nurse Ratched, a cold-blooded megalomaniac, determined to destroy any autonomy or joy that resides in her patients. McMurphy is immediately defiant to Ratched and becomes a constant frustration for her in any way he can.
I enjoyed this movie and I can understand why many consider it to be a classic. The casting of the film and acting in the film is impressive and, having read the novel a few weeks ago, I found a lot of the characters and production design to reflect what I had imagined while reading. The supporting actors who play patients at the hospital were so effective that I wondered a few times if some of them had legitimate mental health conditions. Fletcher, who plays Ratched, perfectly captures the cold-blooded presence also found in the novel, her killer facial expression remaining constant throughout almost the entirety of the film.
The use of lighting in this film appears to be an active addition, with each scene planned and staged with intent. I particularly enjoyed the scenes filmed in the hallway of the hospital, in which light is sometimes seen streaming through the fenced window, producing a grunge texture and reminding viewers of the dark, institutional feeling of the location.
In terms of music, the film was careful to not over-dramatize scenes, leaving the most significant musical movements for the introduction and closing of the film. If I recall correctly, many scenes have little to no music at all, leaving viewers to focus solely on the acting and interactions between characters. Scenes that do have music are ones of minimal dialogue and oftentimes a lot of physical movement, as is the case in an intense driving scene.
As far as the audio in the film goes, despite being good, it’s clear to see (or hear) the technological improvements that have been made since this film came out in the 70s. For instance, in a scene where McMurphy has a one-on-one conversation with the main doctor at the hospital, a noticeable shift in audio quality takes place, as if the scene’s audio was partially recorded in post at different times. Even so, the audio was generally good, leading me to wonder if some audio cleaning has taken place since the film’s initial release.
The cinematography in this film leaves nothing to ask for. Although it didn’t seem to take any interesting risk from my perspective, the use of dolly shots, a variety of distances and lengths of shots (including a few very long ones near the end in which characters are deeply contemplating their situations) are used, and I imagine it is much more impressive relative to the time period.
Overall, I would definitely recommend this film to anyone old enough to handle an R-rated movie. The plot is consistently entertaining, the acting is supreme, and the way the film concludes is arguably the best closing in film history. It was also the second movie to ever win all five major Academy Awards including Best Picture, Actor in Lead Role, Actress in Lead Role, Director, and Screenplay, so clearly the film captures something worthwhile and is an undeniably good use of a Friday night.
(some screenshots from the film for reference)
movie Review:
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The
graduate
The Graduate, a film directed by Mike Nichols, follows Benjamin Braddock, who is returning home after graduating college. Overwhelmed by the unknown prospects of his future, he wants to be alone, but he arrives home to be met with a celebratory dinner party with many of his family’s friends. He tries to hide in his room but interrupted by his bored next-door neighbor, Mrs. Robinson, who insists he drive her home, seducing him in the process. The Robinson’s are family-friends that have known Benjamin since he was young. Things become tricky when Benjamin’s interest turns from Mrs. Robinson to her daughter, Elaine, whom Mrs. Robinson makes him promise to leave alone.
There were many shots and scenes that I was impressed by and stood out to me in The Graduate. There’s a particular scene, where Benjamin’s father insists he go scuba diving in his pool, and the camera shows his perspective, cropping the film to his vision through his goggles, and shifting the sound so the only audio is his breathing through the oxygen tank. I think this is a really creative and well-executed decision because, in the scene, Benjamin doesn’t want to be doing what he’s doing and is annoyed with his father for making him do it, so the P.O.V. and audio changes make it seem as if he’s zoning out and ignoring everyone. Another shot I really liked was when Benjamin was waiting for Mrs. Robinson at a restaurant and the shot was of finished cigarettes smoking on the reflective table and then the focus shifted to Benjamin as Mrs. Robinson walked into the shot, so the shot was still pointed at the table but the focus was on the people. A different sequence I found visually entertaining was a scene where Benjamin is driving in his car towards the camera and when it meets the camera it cuts to the opposite direction and continues as the car drives away. It was almost disorienting but emphasized the stress of the situation. I also liked how there were a lot of scenes where the DP dirtied the shot by including out of focus things in the foreground to frame the characters.
One thing I was sensitive to was a couple of inconsistencies in the audio and the footage. For example, in one scene, where Benjamin is leaving the Robinson’s house, there is a shot from the interior of the building where a character begins their line, and then it cuts to an exterior shot of the building and the character finishes their line. I don’t particularly like how the audio shifts between these two shots because it feels unnatural. There are other cuts like these, audio, and video, where it feels slightly off, like when Benjamin jumps into the pool in the scuba diving scene, and the video is obviously hard cut in between when he’s out of and in the water.
The acting in The Graduate was skillful. Other than the intentionally flat personality high-class parents, the characters were three dimensional, with their own problems and inner voices. It’s a great example of acting where you can read the subtext.
In terms of the plot and story, I think The Graduate was dramatic, sometimes mysteriously, and often humorously so. The end of the film leaves viewers with questions and the same feelings the characters are experiencing, which I won’t elaborate on to avoid spoilers.
I found the use of music in The Graduate to be rather odd. There is rarely music, but when there is, it’s often accompanied by a montage and the song plays almost entirely through. It also repeats songs more than once throughout the film. For example, “The Sound of Silence” is in the beginning and near the middle of the movie, and although I don’t like that it was repeated, it was very fitting to Benjamin’s mindset of worry and contemplations.
In terms of lighting, I noticed that, as with any well-lit film, the main character, Benjamin, has key lighting in every shot. In one scene, however, where Benjamin is in a hotel room with Mrs. Robinson, they shut off and on the lights and when the lights are out the viewers can only see the windows and hear the character’s voices, which was an interesting choice that created a humorous twist for the conversation. I feel as though the common decision for shot composure and lighting is to always have the action be visible, so it’s always attention-grabbing when directors choose to keep the viewers wondering.
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I don’t think I would have sought out this movie out prior to this assignment because I’m usually indifferent when it comes to drama/romance films, but after watching The Graduate, I would definitely recommend this film. It was highly entertaining and surprisingly cinematic despite its sometimes dated feel. For specific reasoning, refer above. If you like coming-of-age films and things that are subtly witty, this movie is perfect. Even if you don’t, I would say it’s still worth a watch.