So, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, phenomenal film, that’s a give in. I’m not writing to rave about it, that’s been done. I’m writing because after watching it for the umpteenth time I started to try and pick it apart conceptually. The very first scene in the film, other than the opening credits, is a conversation between the institution’s administrator and R.P MacMurphy (Jack Nicholson). They are discussing why MacMurphy has been sent from prison to the mental institution for psychiatric evaluation. The doctor/administrator is also trying to size MacMurphy up at this point, trying to decide off the bat if he thinks he’s mentally ill. Anyways, after the introductions MacMurphy focuses his attention to a picture on the desk of the administrator holding up a huge fish. They take a good amount of time discussing how large the fish is, how long it took him to catch it, etc. So as I was watching the thought crossed my mind,”why are they spending so much time talking about this picture? There has to be a bigger meaning to the picture.” So I’ve been thinking, what if the fish symbolizes MacMurphy. He is strong mentally and physically, like the fish. He puts up a big fight against the hospital’s staff (Nurse Ratchet). You learn as the film goes on, no one leaves the hospital until the hospital lets them go, whether the patients are voluntary or not. MacMurphy fights to keep up his spirits and energy throughout the film, but the hospital eventually claims him. They won the fight, much like the administrator won the fight with the fish. I don’t know if this is me trying to dig too deep to find symbolism, but it makes sense to me. The fact that so much time is spent in the beginning of the film talking about this picture with the fish makes perfect sense if the director is foreshadowing the film. If you think about it the entire film is foreshadowed in the story of that fish. So the question is, foreshadowing with fish? Or am I just trying to look for something that isn’t there?
Watch the first scene, see what you think, the part I’m talking about starts 9 minutes in…
P.S.- Johnny Knoxville reminds me of a young Jack Nicholson
