Miloš Forman’s ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST provides a harrowing look at everyday madness. Presented in 35mm courtesy of the Academy Film Archive.

Everything is borderline in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Based on the book of the same, the story centers around the arrival of Randle Patrick McMurphy (Jack Nicholson) at the Oregon State Hospital who, after a slew of disobedient acts including a statutory rape conviction, has been transferred from prison for a mental evaluation. Self-righteous in his defiance against authority and so certain about his sanity, McMurphy rallies with his fellow patients to break beyond and challenge the normal routine. However, he soon discovers that his search for freedom is not shared by all and that some find necessary comfort within the institutional walls. Haskell Wexler’s cinematography compounds our feeling of overwhelming expansiveness and claustrophobic interiors as we question what madness looks like.

Part of Nitehawk’s March COMMITTED brunch series.