Where is the line between madness and sanity drawn? I do believe the story behind "One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest" gives brilliant insight on the matter. Nevertheless, there can be no definite answer in a world where areas of black and white are few and far between. Instead, I propose another question, which is quite easier to answer. Is sanity prescribed by society or instead, confirmed by the individual? McMurphy and Nurse Ratched helps us uncover the answer to this question through their power struggle in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest." This theme stays truth in both the novel and film, albeit, through two different perspectives. Nonetheless, the film remains faithful to the novel with only a few alterations that undoubtedly benefit the story’s transition from novel to film. Still, one thing remains constant, and that is the pursuit of the nature of madness.
Undeniably, madness is one of the main themes of the story right from the start. In the novel, this makes itself evident from the moment the “fog" envelops the Chief. However, this “fog” seems to obscure our vision as well, as things are not quite as they seem. Throughout the novel, we are slowly introduced to the residences of the mental ward, along with their tribulations and motivations. Unquestionably, they all have their issues, some worse than others, much like you and me. I would go as far as to say that some of the acutes are the sanest inhabitants of the mental institution. If anything, Nurse Ratched is far madder than any of the acutes in the mental institution, as she possesses a sheer lack of empathy towards anyone and anything.
In fact, Nurse Ratched enjoys the pain of others. When Nurse Ratched confronts Billy Bibbit at the climax of the novel, her sadism is displayed when “she got the response she was after. Billy flinched and put his hand to his cheek like he’d been burned with acid." This, however, is just one of the countless times that Nurse Ratched presents her true nature. Meanwhile, the other inhabitants of the ward are learning to live with their predicament and not causing harm to anyone. However, society does not see the latter as sane because they are different, and Nurse Ratched is not. Much like how Chief put it, she is just one of many cogs that keep the machine known as a society running.
Moreover, Nurse Ratched is likely aware of her role in society, and as such, she craves some semblance of power. Nurse Ratched satisfies her need for control by ruling the mental institution with an iron fist. Her power only comes into question once McMurphy enters into play. Nurse Ratched takes advantage of the men’s weakness and pits them against each other to keep order within the asylum. No one would dare to oppose her, for she had driven away any glimmer of hope left in these sorry men through shame. McMurphy was different. McMurphy was a big man, as the chief had put it, and he would not back down.
Not only did he bring hope to these men, but laughter as well, something that had not been done for years in the institution. Up until then, the acutes had only ever "snicker[ed] in their fists." Perhaps, this is ever more relevant than the hope he brought, for laughter is a definite sign of humanity, and something that Nurse Ratched is quite not able to do, much like the chronics.
Another technique that Forman uses to put the audience closer to this madness is close-up shots. Forman consistently uses shots that focus on the characters’ visage for us to better get acquainted with the characters. After all, a picture is wort a thousand words, and their expressions were something we just something you cannot completely describe in words. While we are put closer to the insanity, we also get a better sense of the residents’ humanity. Here we see that the acutes are not entirely that different from us. In the end, these are just men with their insecurities just like any other person, and that is what Forman brings out from the actors.
