Racism In One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest

It is known fact that up until recently those placed into mental institutions suffering from various illnesses have been treated poorly. Those who were subject to the torment of shock therapy and sedative drugs in the sixties and seventies know the pain of living in a cognitive institution. One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975), directed by Milos Forman, came out in the era of scandals revealing the awful conditions found in mental hospitals. However, this film does not focus on the living situation in the hospital, but funnels its efforts to look deeper into the characters that inhabit the establishment. This movie fights the ideas of conformity and protests for the right of free thinking all while presenting it in an accessible way for the populous.

McMurphy is the joker needed to save the men from paralyzing angst and lack of self-confidence. He accomplishes this by exposing the men to new experiences and stirring conflict with the nurses and guards. The antagonist of the film is Nurse Ratched (Louise Fletcher) who is the chief caretaker of the patients. Her character is the antithesis of McMurphy as she is cold and follows the rules absolutely. At every instance McMurphy tries to free the patients of routine Nurse Ratched is there to corral the men back to mundanity. Ebert says this movie is, “fearful of women… as an observation, not a criticism.” The only women depicted in a flattering light are the two hookers McMurphy brings to the