ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST (4K): A Time to Forgive?

ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST (4K UHD)

1975 / 133 min

Warner Bros

#InPartnershipwithWB

Review by Mr. Paws😸

While Jaws has gotten a lot of attention this year, another little film celebrated its 50th Anniversary as well. It also swept the Oscars back in 1975, winning every major category, including Best Picture. I distinctly remember being 12 years long and staring drop-jawed in the front the TV when the final award of the night was announced, incredulous that it beat the greatest movie ever made. It didn’t matter that Jaws was the only nominated film I’d actually seen at the time.

I still haven’t quite forgiven the Academy for that, but after finally watching One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest about a decade later - old enough to better appreciate its themes, distinctive characters and rich performances - I had to concede it was a pretty great film. Better than Jaws? Hell no, but perhaps I’d change my tune if Nurse Ratched (Louise Fletcher) had met her demise in the mouth of a great white.

Even without any sharks, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest remains supremely rewatchable. Perhaps even more so today, because while revisiting the film in 4K, I was reminded of how many famous character actors got their first big break here, including Danny DeVito, Christopher Lloyd, Will Sampson and Brad Dourif. But of course, the whole movie still belongs to Jack Nicholson as rebellious asylum inmate R.P. McMurphy and Louis Fletcher as his cold blooded foil, Nurse Ratched. The Oscars they received for those performances are well-deserved. 

Jack sits on a tack.

I was also reminded of how subtly affecting the movie is, especially the scenes in which McMurphy endears himself to the other inmates. My favorite moment would have to be the one where McMurphy commandeers a fishing boat and takes his new friends on a real adventure, a sequence that’s both funny and heartwarming. Elsewhere, his friendship with silent, hulking “Chief” Bromden sets up a climax that remains poignant and haunting, no matter how many times I’ve seen it. 

50 years later, the film arguably remains the career highpoint for a lot of people on both sides of the camera, including director Milos Forman. So while One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest still no Jaws, maybe I should finally consider forgiving the Academy for thinking it was. After all, it ain’t like they gave the Best Picture statue to Barry Lyndon.

Finally remastered in 4K, both the picture and sound have been given significant upgrades from previous Blu-ray editions. The details, textures and color palettes are sharper and more accurate, while two audio tracks are offered, including an impressive DTS-HD Master Audio mix. The disc also comes with a few interesting new bonus features (outlined below), along with an archival feature-length retrospective documentary. But I gotta say...whoever designed the terrible new cover should be fired.

EXTRA KIBBLES

FEATURETTES - Conversations on Cuckoo: Group Therapy and Conversations on Cuckoo: Moviemaking Memories are a couple of new Zoom discussions featuring producer Michael Douglas and actors Christopher Lloyd, Brad Dourif and Danny Devito. 

COMPLETELY CUCKOO is a feature length retrospective documentary featuring a ton of interesting interviews that include producers Michael Douglas & Saul Zentz, Kirk Douglas (who originally optioned the film with the hope of playing the lead role), actors Louise Fletcher, Christopher Lloyd, Danny DeVito & Vincent Schiavelli, director Milos Forman and original author Ken Kesey.

5 DELETED SCENES

DIGITAL COPY