One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest: reviews. "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest": actors and roles

"One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" is one of the best works of art in contemporary American literature. The screen version of Ken Kesey 's book became a classic movie. How did the American society perceive the film about the tragic fate of the rebel, and what were the reviews? "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" is the topic of this article.

Prehistory

The history of creating a film that conquered the whole world is not easy. The novel by Ken Kesey received rather contradictory reviews. "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" - the book that became the main for the American hippies. Perhaps the theme of the proclamation of liberty was too bold for Western society. And maybe, a deep philosophical idea was not available to the producers of the sixties. Anyway, Kirk Douglas, who bought the rights to stage this work, could not launch the film. Although the play was a success ... However, the American theater audience for the history of the psychiatric hospital reacted coldly.

The stage production did not satisfy Douglas, and he made several attempts to get the opportunity to make a film. One day he even contacted Milos Forman, because he was seen as the director of the future film. Douglas sent a Kizi book to the Czech filmmaker by mail. But she did not reach the addressee. The dream of an adaptation of the book would be safely forgotten, if a man who had cherished her for so long would not have a stubborn and talented son.

Michael Douglas was able to move this business from the dead point after his father finally despaired. The young actor has bypassed all leading film studios. Producers who had the opportunity to participate in the creation of a true work of art, read the script. And what were their responses? "Flying over the cuckoo's nest" they, oddly enough, perceived as something hopeless. And only Sol Zanz appreciated the material.

Scenario

The filmmakers decided at the beginning of their hard way that the film would be low-budget. That's why they did not attract actors with huge ambitions and organize complex scenes. But before it was necessary to write a script. This case, Douglas and Zentz entrusted the author of the book of the same name. Kizi spent several months writing the script, but since he was a man far from the movie, his work was in vain. According to the writer's version of the film was impossible to remove. Therefore, Lawrence Hauben undertook the task. By the way, about the script and the film Ken Kizi left negative reviews.

"One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" - a book in which the main character is the Chief Bromden. In the eponymous film, this character receded into the background. The painting, which received many awards and became in this sense even unique in the world of cinema, is a bright event in art. However, it lacks a deep psychologism, which the author achieved through a special reception. Kizi in his novel portrayed events through the prism of a mentally ill person. The vision of the surrounding world through the eyes of the Leader is what the writer's artistic design is based on.

The budget of the film

No matter how the filmmakers tried to save on the work of actors, a third of the budget had to be spent on Jack Nicholson. Although the total cost of production was only three million. This budget is scanty. Especially considering that he collected more than one hundred million dollars. The director was still Miloš Forman. Before the shooting of the film, he was out of work for a long time. And this became the decisive factor for his consent, even despite the low fee.

Only a few months the shooting of the film "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" continued. 1975 was the year of the release of the film, which went down in history. Only two films were ever awarded such a large number of awards.

Scenery

In fact, they were not needed. Because in this clinic for the mentally ill, the film "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" was filmed. The summary of the book at the time of the film was familiar to many. And among young people, Kesey's novel was insanely popular. Specialists in the field of psychiatry, by the way, the film for obvious reasons did not like. But it was after the movie was released. And before the work on the film began, the management of one of the hospitals in Oregon still agreed to provide a room for filming. Perhaps the hospital staff had only a rough idea of the plot of the film. After all, after his release on the screens in American society began to develop a very negative opinion about their activities.

Casting

Milos Forman is a director who was extremely sensitive to creating an image on the screen. Perhaps that's why the casting took more than a year. In the image of the main character, according to Foreman, on the screen there should appear a person recognizable, but not famous. The roles of the remaining characters were assigned to completely unknown actors, but with a particular specific appearance. The viewer had to have a feeling that he was in an unknown far-off world. The world of a psychiatric hospital.

McMurphy

The role of the protagonist was a lot of applicants. Among them: Marlon Brando, Steve McQueen, John Voight, Jack Nicholson. The choice of Foreman, as you know, did in favor of the latter. Today it seems obvious that it was this actor who played the role of a quick-tempered and freedom-loving adventurer. But Jack Nicholson as McMurfee is a talented director's find. It was thanks to a special vision of Foreman that the film received so many awards.

Sister Rathed

The most terrible evil is that which is externally hard to recognize. Such thoughts come to mind after reading the book Kizi. Sister Ratched personifies a decent but cruel society that kills a person's will and desire for freedom. On the main female role Miloš Forman expected to initially take an actress with a pronounced sinister role. However, the choice was halted by Louise Fletcher. And I was not mistaken. The image that this actress created on the screen is truly frightening. A pretty blonde who is convinced of her important mission and forces others to believe in it. The evil of the heroine is not obvious. And that's why it's even more terrible.

Hospital staff

It is noteworthy that some of the employees of the clinic were not played by professional actors. So, Dean R. Brooks played the role of chief physician. This character is not central. He, along with other representatives of medical personnel, creates a kind of background. On the set of the film, Foreman not only did not insist that the amateur actors learn the words. The director even asked them to come up with a few remarks.

Patients

Actors of the second plan foreman selected so scrupulously that it was necessary to reconsider the order of three thousand nominees. As a result of laborious work, the owners of the most colorful appearance were selected. For many of them shooting in the film based on the novel by Ken Kesey became a sign in the destiny. Danny De Vito, Christopher Lloyd, Brad Dourif and Sidney Lassic from this picture began their acting career.

Douglas, who, as already mentioned, had experience in staging a play by Kizi's work, suggested that the director take on the role of Martini one of the actors who were involved in the play. The role of a quiet and peaceful madman named Martini was played by Danny De Vito. In the mid-seventies, this actor was still young and unknown to anyone. The role of another patient was played by William Redfield. For this actor work with Forman was not the first professional experience. In the film about the psychiatric hospital, he played his last role. William Redfield passed away a year after the release of the film "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest".

Milos Forman was an adherent of improvisation. He was constantly in search of a natural frame, for which often included a camera without the knowledge of the actors. Freedom is the most important thing that a person has. This is the main idea of the book by Ken Kesey. And perhaps, it is in the quest for absolute creative freedom that the success of Milos Forman's film lies.