The movie One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest captured all of the main themes of the book and left the viewer with the same emotions and understanding of the complex plot. However, as with all movies, much of the subtleties of the book were lost.
One of the most important things that was lost in the movie was the struggles of Chief Bromden. As the narrator of the book, the reader was given insight to the Chief's past. His narration also gave insight as to how the hospital worked and how it changes the patients. This gave his character depth and allowed the reader to empathize. The Chief is a much less prominent character in the movie, so his escape is less powerful and anticipated.
Although the hospital came off as oppressive in the movie, the movie focused more on McMurphy's disruptiveness than the actual need for disruption. The hospital didn't seem like a fun place to live in the movie, but it hardly gave the terrible impression that it did in the book. In this way, the movie lost some of the criticism of society that was so clear in the book.
Other changes were made like making the fishing trip spontaneous instead of planned, having Taber around, and adding the outside basketball scenes, but the movie was relatively consistent overall.
The movie was effective in the characterization of the smaller characters. For example, some of the Acutes that were only mentioned a few times in the book like Scanlon were brought to life and contributed to the mood of the movie. Other characters like Billy Bibbit and Cheswick were given a new light, and all of the characters' quirks made the hospital more vivid than in the book. The Black Boys, and all of the workers of the hospital, were shown as more human in the movie.
The clip above captures the essence of both the movie and the book. This is the first scene in which Bromden shows signs of intelligence to anyone (although in the book the reader already knows he is intelligent). It is a turning point where the nurse sees control slipping from her and the patients begin to stand as one body against her.
One of the most important things that was lost in the movie was the struggles of Chief Bromden. As the narrator of the book, the reader was given insight to the Chief's past. His narration also gave insight as to how the hospital worked and how it changes the patients. This gave his character depth and allowed the reader to empathize. The Chief is a much less prominent character in the movie, so his escape is less powerful and anticipated.
Although the hospital came off as oppressive in the movie, the movie focused more on McMurphy's disruptiveness than the actual need for disruption. The hospital didn't seem like a fun place to live in the movie, but it hardly gave the terrible impression that it did in the book. In this way, the movie lost some of the criticism of society that was so clear in the book.
Other changes were made like making the fishing trip spontaneous instead of planned, having Taber around, and adding the outside basketball scenes, but the movie was relatively consistent overall.
The movie was effective in the characterization of the smaller characters. For example, some of the Acutes that were only mentioned a few times in the book like Scanlon were brought to life and contributed to the mood of the movie. Other characters like Billy Bibbit and Cheswick were given a new light, and all of the characters' quirks made the hospital more vivid than in the book. The Black Boys, and all of the workers of the hospital, were shown as more human in the movie.
The clip above captures the essence of both the movie and the book. This is the first scene in which Bromden shows signs of intelligence to anyone (although in the book the reader already knows he is intelligent). It is a turning point where the nurse sees control slipping from her and the patients begin to stand as one body against her.