One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest: The Milos Forman Classic Celebrates 50 Years with a 4K Upgrade (4K)

The Film:

50 years ago this month, a little film called "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," based on the novel by Ken Kesey, was unleashed in theaters. It immediately garnered massive success, both critically and commercially, with the film earning well over $100 million against its remarkably small $3-4 million production budget. However, its success didn't end there, as the film went on to earn an incredible nine Oscar nominations, with it going on to win the "Big Five" (Picture, Director, Actor, Actress, and Adapted Screenplay), making it one of only three films in cinematic history to accomplish the feat.

Since then, it has continually been hailed by many as a masterpiece, with some even declaring it one of the greatest films ever made. To celebrate its incredible milestone, Warner Bros. is giving the film a remarkable 4K upgrade and throwing in a handful of intriguing bonus materials, so now, as usual, it's time to go back and revisit another classic to see if it's truly deserving of all the accolades & hoopla that it's received over the decades.

Taking place in 1963 Oregon, the film centers on Randall McMurphy (Jack Nicholson), who fakes mental illness so he can go to a mental institution after having committed statutory rape with a 15-year-old girl. There he meets the nurse in charge, Nurse Ratched (Louise Fletcher), a rather cold & intimidating woman, and the rest of the patients on the floor, including the child-like Martini (Danny DeVito), stutterer Billy Bibbit (Brad Dourif), Max Taber (Christopher Lloyd), and a deaf-mute Native American that everyone calls "Chief" (Will Sampson).

McMurphy very quickly finds himself in a battle of wills with Nurse Ratched, with him making demands such as turning the music down and changing the schedule so he can watch the World Series. However, this soon escalates into him pulling bigger stunts, including taking several patients on a fishing trip and holding an after-hours party in their ward. Will McMurphy be able to get the best of her, or will she prove to be too tough an adversary to defeat?

Milos Forman's "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" is a film that I've come back to now and again over the years, with this latest rewatch marking the third or fourth viewing. It's a film that I've always liked, though it's never been one that I've particularly loved, which is primarily due to its rather episodic nature that has the film feeling like a series of happenings among the patients & staff of the hospital, with the only somewhat major primary thread being the ongoing battle of wills between McMurphy and Nurse Ratched. Don't get me wrong, it is indeed a good film, just not one I've ever been able to call "great" or a "masterpiece," as so many have done.

That said, its narrative, consisting of the aforementioned loose string of events, is mostly compelling, if not particularly memorable. However, what really elevates the film is the phenomenal cast bringing all of these rather eccentric characters to life. Not only do you get incredible, Oscar-winning turns from Jack Nicholson & Louise Fletcher, but you also have remarkable supporting performances from many stars who were up-and-coming at the time, including Christopher Lloyd, Danny DeVito, and Brad Dourif (who earned an Oscar nomination for his incredible work).

When it comes down to it, "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" is an intriguing experience filled with amusing episodes, and while it could've used a more solid overall plot, it remains fascinating simply to watch these fantastic actors bring this peculiar group of characters to life. Was it truly deserving of Best Picture? Well, in this critic's humble opinion, Stanley Kubrick's masterful "Barry Lyndon" should've easily taken the top prize that year, and if not that, then Steven Spielberg's brilliant adventure-thriller "Jaws" would've made a fantastic pick. While it's unclear whether "Cuckoo's Nest" would reclaim the top spot among the five options (which also included "Dog Day Afternoon" and "Nashville") nowadays, one thing is certain, it remains a fine & fascinating film, one that is very much worth revisiting every once in a while over the years.

Video/Audio:

"One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" comes to 4K in a 1.85:1, 2160p Ultra High Definition transfer of outstanding quality. The new upgrade has cleaned up the film beautifully, presenting a sharp & clear picture throughout its entire 133-minute duration. Likewise, the 5.1 DTS-HD MA & 2.0 Mono audio tracks are fantastic, giving you all of the dialogue & music in excellent quality. Overall, Warner Bros. has done a marvelous job in both areas for the film's 4K debut.

Special Features:

Conversations on Cuckoo: Group Therapy (13 Minutes): A featurette that has Danny DeVito, Christopher Lloyd, Brad Dourif, and Michael Douglas reminiscing about the film.

Conversations on Cuckoo: Moviemaking Memories (11 Minutes): Another featurette that has the same group continuing to reminisce.

Completely Cuckoo (86 Minutes): A feature-length documentary about the making of the film.

Deleted Scenes (5 Sequences, 9 Minutes)

Conclusion:

Even after 50 years, Milos Forman's "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" remains an amusing & fascinating film, one that may be held back a little by its rather episodic nature, but which rises on the strength of its brilliant ensemble, led by incredible, Oscar-winning turns from Jack Nicholson & Louise Fletcher, all of whom ultimately make this peculiar little film one worth revisiting over the years, particularly in its new stunning 4K iteration.

Score: 3.5/5

Available on 4K starting today.

Follow me on Twitter @BeckFilmCritic.