Cuckoo's Nest: Video vs Book

After I had watched “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” I realized that there were many differences in the movie and the book. First off, the book was narrated by Chief Bromden, the movie was more of a set narrator and it had each of the characters speaking in their own voice. I did like this touch in the movie more though because I think it added more spirit to the book and it enhanced the characters more. The movie also left out a few key events that the book had. It didn’t show the basketball training and game that McMurphy put on for the patients in the hospital. Cheswick was also not featured in the movie and they didn’t show his death. I think they should have put this in because it only added to McMurphy’s rebellious attitude to the nurse and her aides. Overall I think that Nicholson did a great job playing the role of McMurphy, he was always fired up in the movie and was never short of excitement throughout the film.

Luve Vs McMurphy

R.P. McMurphy and Luke in the novel “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” and the film “Cool Hand Luke are very similar. One of the major similarities between the two characters was their rebellious character traits. It seemed like wherever McMurphy or Luke went they were rising up (or at least trying to) against their superiors. I believe this was because they wanted to establish their power in the situation they were in. I believe that the authors of the two stories tried to make the main characters almost “god-like” because they wanted to show us that there is always hope along the route you choose to take. McMurphy was always trying to get the men in the hospital to cheer up and go out with him; he also always showed the men that he was not afraid to stand up against authority. Luke was also a religious figure to his inmates at the ward because he always showed them how to have a good time and he was always in good spirits. Luke was also never afraid to stand up against the authority, even if it meant he had to spend the night in the box. I think that McMurphy was a lot more rebellious than Luke was; Luke was just there to do work and have a good time. I don’t think either of the men deserved the punishments they got in the end of the book.

Cuckoo's Nest: Book/Film Differences

My first reaction to the Cuckoo's Nest film was disbelief. The movie neglected so many things that were in the book, such as Cheswick's death, certain aspects of the fishing trip, even a few characters were left out. The film would have been more powerful and unique if it had been narrated from the Chief's point of view as it was in the book. Movies such as 'Pink Floyd The Wall' and 'Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas' successfully incorporated strung out viewpoints from narrators under the influence of hallucinatory drugs that mimic schizophrenia. Including some of Chief's actual schizophrenic hallucinations would have made the movie more impressive. Also, Cheswick's death gave the book a more bleak and defeated tone that the movie did not have. His death/suicide emphasized the true power of The Combine. Jack Nicholson's acting did not capture all of McMurphy's true character. In the book, he was very vibrant, robust and outspoken, while in the film he seemed to be relatively quiet and even seemed relaxed at times.

Martyr For a Cause

Poor McMurphy and Luke, two troublemakers who really didn't deserve their fates. I really emphathized with McMurphy, and he didn't deserve the icepick. Nor did Luke deserve getting shot out of the blue. No warning and he even tried to surrender, but the main boss shot him down anyway. Despite their unfair demises, both men died for a cause. They gave hope to their fellow ward/inmates. Both represented an ideal that everyone else was afraid to go along with. They went against logic and authority just to mess with the system and get some laughs along the way. Society can be cruel sometimes, and it takes a few people to sacrifice themselves to cause change. People had to die for medical wards to be reformed and people had to die for prisons to be changed. It is unfortunate that these two likable characters had to die for changes that really should have been the initial model. I feel bad for McMurphy and Luke, and I wish there would have been a happy ending to both stories, but happy endings aren't always ment to be, and atleast they went out with a bang and they will be remembered for the good they brought to their friends. RIP McMurphy and Cool Hand Luke

Oh Boy! It's Halloween!

 Another day to go to bed early. I remember back when I was a kid and halloween was one of the best times of the year. I get to dress up and get free candy! What could be better than that? Now that I'm in high school, a lot of thing. I can sleep, which I did last night. I went to bed at 9:30. Something I rarely do. I did my homework, played some games, and went to bed. Besides the fact that the doorbell is constantly ringing, it felt like a normal night. Halloween doesn't have the appeal it used to. I now have to buy my own costume or make something, which I couldn't be bothered to do as I really don't have the time. I can buy a huge bag of candy for $5 so I dont have to go out and freeze to death, and I could be doing other things. Halloween really is a young kids' holiday, and I grew out of it. I remember the first year my dad said i was too old to go trick or treating. I was outraged. I thought that as long as i dressed up i should be able to go out. But 3 years later, I can see that I'm too old, There are more important things to do, like sleeping, or catching up on school work. Oh well, another halloween come and gone, and I hardly ever noticed

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

So far, I have really enjoyed Kesey's novel. His style of writing is very realistic and vivid, especially in the Chief's schizophrenic narration, which gives the book a unique touch. From what I have read so far, I do not think that Kesey's novel promotes misogyny, but I do find the characterizations of the black boys to be a bit outrageous. He accurately portrays the forces of conformity through the Combine and the Big Nurse's insidiously repressive nature.

Supersize Me

Spurlock's documentary effectively identified the problem and proposed a solution. He presented tons of supportive evidence about how and why Americans are obese (sugary, fatty foods and drinks in school cafeterias, lack of nutrition facts in fast food restaurants, enticing advertisements, etc...) Spurlock's solution to reduce obesity in Americans starts in school cafeterias nationwide. If healthier food options were presented to students, and unhealthy drinks and meals were eliminated, students would start learning healthy habits at a young age, reducing the chances of them becoming obese. Supersize Me was a well made, virtually unbiased documentary, and the sources interviewed were credible. Spurlock presented the facts about the harmful effects of McDonalds in a rational manner, but the artistic genius of the documentary was obviously creating negative (and sometimes creepy) imagery to help push Spurlock's point home.