What’s a piece of media (book, movie, song) that changed how you see the world?
I saw the film before I read the book and I would have watched it in a cinema probably in Paisley or Glasgow.
Forget the glamour of a power broker in Hollywood or a not so glamorous movie star with a penchant for great story telling and the pedigree of a key player in “Easy Rider.”
Enter Jack Nicholson as “Randle McMurphy” a swaggering ,blustering candidate for a “No Irish or Blacks” refusal at a hostel for vagrant workers.
Instead he has had a run in with the Law and chooses a “mental health facility” over prison. On my first viewing of the film I don’t think I realised how much was going on. How the film railed against the unfairness of the World.It was an Anti-War movie without a War.
I have since read Kinsey’s book and also watched the film a number of times.I even saw a play version at the Edinburgh Festival with my sister and we both jumped out of our seats at the end because there was a sort of explosion as Chief Bromden makes his escape from the hospital.This ranks with taking my sister to see full frontal nudity in Jimmy Boyle’s “The Hard Man”, my sister sort of yelped when the actor tore his towel away.
Anyway, One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest has stayed with me a long time.I’ve met quite a few Nurse Ratchett’s .
I have watched as our Institutions in Social Services,Healthcare ,Prisons have committed the same mistakes again and again.Why,because they lack humanity,not because they don’t have the resources.
Our Politicians have washed their hands and look to the Private Sector to deal with difficult situations.Passing the buck and just not caring.
At least with Randle McMurphy’s story I can see what they are doing and fight against it when I can.Yes they “the billionaires ,the populists the warmongers,the AI will solve everything believers,and dare I say it a very selfish “I’m alright Jack population”.
Yes, “One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest stayed with me and had a very real impact.Thank you to all the inspirational people involved in making it.
Namaste and Thank You for Reading.🙏
thenotsomightyom 