One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest on DVD

By Jim Bray

Milos Forman directs 1975’s “Best Picture” Oscar winner that stars Jack Nicholson as a free spirited small time crook thrown into an early 1960’s hospital for the insane.

Nicholson’s R.P. McMurphy undoubtedly thinks a little time in undergoing psychiatric assessment beats the same time in a real jail, and if not for his being a rebellious hellion it probably would have been.

But he is a rebellious hellion, and it doesn’t take long for him to be a thorn in the side of tough as nails Nurse Ratched (Louse Fletcher who, like Nicholson, won the “Best Performance” Oscar) who runs the place as if it were a prison and hides behind bureaucratese such as running everything to a tight schedule, regardless of what the inmates - er, patients - want.

The outcome is preordained, but along the way we have a film that also won Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay

I dunno if I’d go that far; I think if you’re going to award "Best Picture" Oscars to Milos Forman films then Amadeus and Ragtime are much better choices, but I’m not a member of the Academy and often disagree with them - proudly. Regardless of that, “Cuckoo’s Nest” is a film that must be seen at least once.

Fortunately, Warner Brothers’ new DVD release is a wonderful way to do just that - and it has enough extra stuff on it (a second disc’s worth) to make it a must for collectors to own.

What a happy coincidence for Warners…

Anyway, as is Forman’s wont you really feel a part of the movie, as if you’re also in that awful old loony bin the same way you almost feel Viennese while watching Amadeus. Almost.

The man can craft a film, and of course it doesn’t hurt to have everything else going for you including Oscar-caliber performances and words and a crew that dresses and shoots it in such a way as to create an extremely realistic atmosphere.

We’re meant to root for McMurphy, who’s full of exuberant 1960’s style anti-establishment glee and who brings some rays of light into what would otherwise be a very dreary environment - and which still was despite his efforts.

The performances of what’s basically an ensemble cast are outstanding, and feature such then-virtually unknowns as Christopher Lloyd, Brad Dourif and Danny De Vito.

The DVD is very good. It features a Y2K+1 digital transfer “from restored elements” (hopefully nothing radioactive) and the picture is generally very good. There are some sections that exhibit some grain, but for the most part it’s quite satisfying. Audio is remixed into Dolby Digital 5.1 surround and they’ve tried hard; the end result is better than adequate though not first rate. There’s little surround, which is okay, but there’s also some distortion, particularly in the louder passages.

As with Warners’ other 2002 special editions, the extras start with a running commentary, this one featuring director Forman and producers Michael Douglas and Saul Zaentz. There’s also "The Making of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," a very good 48-minute documentary featuring the actors, moviemakers, and author of the original novel Ken Kesey recounting the history of the story.

You also get some extra scenes, cast/crew stuff, and the trailer

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, from Warner Home Video
133 min. anamorphic widescreen (1.85:1), 16x9 TV compatible, Dolby Digital 5.1 surround
Starring Jack Nicholson, Louise Fletcher and William Redfield
Written by Lawrence Hauben and Bo Goldman, Directed by Milos Forman

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