7. McMurphy - One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest (1975)
One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest is rightly considered a classic work of American cinema. Its darkly humorous depiction of life in a mental institution is iconic, thanks mostly to Jack Nicholson's unhinged central performance as Randle McMurphy. Every good hero needs a villain, though, and One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest benefits from the icy, evil Nurse Ratched. Ratched uses subtle humiliation tactics and awful authoritarian restrictions to keep her patients in check. When McMurphy refuses to do as she pleases, her revenge comes in the form of shock therapy and further unwavering commitment to her unreasonable rules. Her evil even goes as far as essentially goading a patient into suicide using his fear of his mother. Thankfully, Ratched gets her comeuppance at the hands of McMurphy. On seeing his dead friend, McMurphy grabs at Ratched's throat and almost chokes her to death. She is left shaken and is seen wearing a neck brace, only able to speak in a quiet, timid voice. McMurphy is lobotomised (and later smothered by a fellow patient in a mercy killing) as a result of his actions, but for a brief moment, he is able to get his own back on the woman that was making life hell for a number of very vulnerable individuals.
Freelance film journalist and fan of professional wrestling. Usually found in a darkened screening room looking for an aisle seat and telling people to put away their mobile phones. Also known to do a bit of stand-up comedy, so I'm used to the occasional heckle.
