One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest: Director of Photography

I’ve heard of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and have heard it referenced many times but have never watched it or read it. If I were to direct the photography for a new adaptation of the story, I would ensure to use the camera to support the main themes of the story and to subtly suggest mental state of the characters as well as their position and personality.

Camera angles on the silent but pivotal Bromden should always be upshots to show the power that he holds and the significance of his character. Throughout the film, the audience will know that he is important and will be subconsciously waiting for him to play his major part. Then, when the end comes we can all feel a sense of satisfaction that Bromden was the one to give McMurphy relief by the end. Also all of the shots of Bromden when he is being shaven already have specific direction. His fear in this situation is emphasized by extreme close ups and the distortion of the sound of the clippers. Extreme close ups like this can be used throughout the film to emphasize a character’s fear or anxiety, like Billy right before he kills himself.

The general overall feel of the facility should be starkly contrasted with the few times that the company leaves the facility. The inside of the facility should be shot harshly, with bright uncomfortable lights so it feels sterile and harsh. Bars of light/grids caused by window blinds or the grating on the windows can help make the whole facility feel like a prison, which it really is. There are often significant shots of Bromden looking out the window, so these would be opportune times for this.

After McMurphy undergoes electroshock therapy, there should definitely be a change in the way the film is shot, and the way McMurphy is shot especially. After electroshock, McMurphy is thrown off his game, and so everything should feel skewed. The rest of the inmates think that everything is back to normal, but the audience will know that there is no going back to how it was before. McMurphy should be made to look smaller, less powerful, and just overall off from how he started out. Maybe even shooting it to be more muted in color can show the loss of some of his self that has gone on and exacerbate his determination to push back against Nurse Ratched and his situation.

The party should feel like a fever dream. Once it gets going and all the inmates are involved in it, shots should be more and more rapid from one part of the party to the next. Tilting angles and perhaps even a moving or handheld camera could be used to make the viewers feel part of all the crazy action that’s happening. It will be stark in contrast to how the facility is normally shot, where it is stale and stiff and orderly. All order is now gone in one dramatic push from McMurphy against this system. But it gets out of his control, whether he knows it or not, and the audience will feel that through the camera angles and unbalanced nature of how the whole thing is shot.

I definitely want to see this movie and see how the camera angles and cinematography play in to the themes and key changes in the story.