``One Flew One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest'' Jack Nicholson's powerful performance delivers a timeless Arrival

Jack Nicholson's amazing performance that will go down in history

The acting spirit of these supporting characters made Jack Nicholson even more serious than usual. Although he appears easygoing on the outside, in truth he is a harder worker than most. Even at the place he stayed, the lights in his room remained on until late at night, and his many high-quality improvisational performances were the result of thorough research into his role, including parts that weren't written in the script. His true strength lies in the fact that he displays explosive power without showing any signs of effort, as if he came up with an idea on the spot.

One of the most legendary scenes is during group therapy between a patient and the head nurse who insist, ``I want to watch the Major League Baseball World Series on TV!'' Forbidden by the head nurse played by Louise Fletcher, he sits alone in front of a blank TV and uses his imagination to perform a fantasy baseball commentary. In this way, the hospitalized patients are drawn into a frenzy.

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Even at this time, there were very few details written in the script, but he had a complete picture of the game in 1963, which was the era in which it was set. Also, he never tries to stand out on his own, but always pays attention to his surroundings, throwing performance balls to the actors to elicit reactions from each, and with the synergistic effect, they work together to reach the goal. I tried. Such talent created a great sense of unity here as well. It seems that the series of ``imaginary live commentary'' scenes were filled with wonderful ad-libs that lasted much longer, but director Foreman was forced to make them shorter through editing.

In any case, no matter how well this scene is managed, the human imagination cannot be bound. In fact, it sent out a big Arrival: that you can fly as freely as you like. Although playing the role of a prisoner, Jack Nicholson presented the propositions ``What is true humanity?'' and ``What is the freedom we should seek?'' in a powerful way that only he could. His presence made it clear that this film is not just limited to patients with mental illness, but is an ``open film'' that spotlights all living things.

For this performance, Nicholson won the coveted Academy Award for Best Actor. No, that's not all. As if his method of ``lighting up not only himself but also those around him'' was the result of his work, ``One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest'' not only won Best Actor, but also Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actress. Fletcher, who played the role of the head nurse), won five major categories including Best Adapted Screenplay. It can be said that this result was the era's (1975) answer to the previous proposition.

In this way, this film caused a huge sensation, and at the same time it became a masterpiece that left its name in the history of film.

Text: USHIZU ATSUNOBU

Born in Nagasaki in 1977. When he was 3 years old, he saw ``Superman II'' with his father and became fascinated with movies. After The Graduate from Meiji University, he worked for a movie broadcasting channel and then became a movie writer. Currently, in addition to writing for Eiga.com, EYESCREAM, Real Sound Movie Club, etc., he also contributes to media press and theater programs.

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"One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest"

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