Give me a good film and I become a fanboy. I cannot be a reviewer. A reviewer just sucks out the life of a film. He dissects the anatomy of a film and I don't like postmartem. Milos Forman, the now-deceased Czechoslovakian film director made a film in 1976 named 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest' and it was one great, beautiful film that made me fall in love with movies some more.
Milos Forman died last week and in days to follow, I decided to follow his lead and write about him and his aforementioned film but writing is a soul-stirring exercise and a taxing job. When the mood captures you, you write. You also write when you get your hands on powerful material. I had the material on this one but then there is always material on 10 other topics and they hover around me like Bees. They sting me as well but you learn to move on with time. Ignoring, though, causes very often, great regret.
Just know for now that Milos had made some well-regarded films in Czechoslovakia before landing the gig with this film. Soviet Tanks entered Prague in 1960s and Forman had to leave his country. He made his Hollywood debut in 1971 but the film bombed. The film was good though and one good thing with Hollywood is that they always have personnel who care, so Forman had his admirers. Only he didn't know at the time. Kirk Douglas, a Hollywood legend at that time, had been trying his best to adopt the source material, an elegiac novel, for better part of last decade and no studio was ready to back him up. His son, Michael Douglas, who went on to become an Icon himself later, decided to try his hand with source material. He had a dream team in his mind and Milos Forman was part of it.
Jack Nicholson, who I consider the bravest and among the very finest of Hollywood legends (a personal favorite), had been nominated for Oscars three time prior to signing of this film. Easy Rider (1969), Chinatown (1973) and The Last Detail (1974). He was an actor in-demand and when Michael Douglas scraped around 4 million dollars to make this film, half of it went to Jack as his salary. He also demanded a percentage of film's profit at box-office. No one minded that for everyone knew they just wanna fulfill a dream of their with the film and only one film with similar subject had ever made profit at US Box Office previously, so they were sure their film is gonna bomb at box office. The fact of the matter is, it didn't.
After first week, executives said, it might earn 10 millions. After week 2, 20. After week 3, 40 and so the crazy calculations went on and on and the film ended with raking over 200 million dollars in worldwide gross. Jack Nicholson was now smiling. He became a multimillionaire in a month's time and last I checked, his personal networth was USD 400 millions (2016).
You can go and wiki this film. It's been called one of the greatest ever. It's subject material was one of the toughest to get touched in US film history. Who gives a damn about mental patients in an asylum with a rebellion in their midst and an authoritarian nurse to take control of them? But when the film ends, you walk out of it humbled. Completely lifeless and in complete silence. It left a profound impact on the viewers' psyche and since then, mental institutions and their patients have been viewed in brighter and more sympathetic light. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest was a groundbreaking film in history of Hollywood.
After the Frank Capra's It Happened One Night (1934), it became the first film to take 'Top 5' Oscar trophies: Best Actor, best actress, best film, best director and best cinematography. History was now engraved in gold as well.
As for Milos, he went on to make one more seminal film in 'Amadeus'. It was made on the life and deeds of Mozart, the enigmatic German music composer of Royal Vienna court. It became an Oscar darling as well.
As for Jack, he went on to become a legendary actor with most Oscar nominations and wins for a male actor. He trumped Marlon Brando, his idol and contemporaries such as Al Pacino and Robert De Niro, when it came to Oscars and greatness. Today is his birthday, so happy birthday Jack!!!
As for the film, you have heard enough. Now, go and watch it.
Milos Forman died last week and in days to follow, I decided to follow his lead and write about him and his aforementioned film but writing is a soul-stirring exercise and a taxing job. When the mood captures you, you write. You also write when you get your hands on powerful material. I had the material on this one but then there is always material on 10 other topics and they hover around me like Bees. They sting me as well but you learn to move on with time. Ignoring, though, causes very often, great regret.
Just know for now that Milos had made some well-regarded films in Czechoslovakia before landing the gig with this film. Soviet Tanks entered Prague in 1960s and Forman had to leave his country. He made his Hollywood debut in 1971 but the film bombed. The film was good though and one good thing with Hollywood is that they always have personnel who care, so Forman had his admirers. Only he didn't know at the time. Kirk Douglas, a Hollywood legend at that time, had been trying his best to adopt the source material, an elegiac novel, for better part of last decade and no studio was ready to back him up. His son, Michael Douglas, who went on to become an Icon himself later, decided to try his hand with source material. He had a dream team in his mind and Milos Forman was part of it.
Jack Nicholson, who I consider the bravest and among the very finest of Hollywood legends (a personal favorite), had been nominated for Oscars three time prior to signing of this film. Easy Rider (1969), Chinatown (1973) and The Last Detail (1974). He was an actor in-demand and when Michael Douglas scraped around 4 million dollars to make this film, half of it went to Jack as his salary. He also demanded a percentage of film's profit at box-office. No one minded that for everyone knew they just wanna fulfill a dream of their with the film and only one film with similar subject had ever made profit at US Box Office previously, so they were sure their film is gonna bomb at box office. The fact of the matter is, it didn't.
After first week, executives said, it might earn 10 millions. After week 2, 20. After week 3, 40 and so the crazy calculations went on and on and the film ended with raking over 200 million dollars in worldwide gross. Jack Nicholson was now smiling. He became a multimillionaire in a month's time and last I checked, his personal networth was USD 400 millions (2016).
You can go and wiki this film. It's been called one of the greatest ever. It's subject material was one of the toughest to get touched in US film history. Who gives a damn about mental patients in an asylum with a rebellion in their midst and an authoritarian nurse to take control of them? But when the film ends, you walk out of it humbled. Completely lifeless and in complete silence. It left a profound impact on the viewers' psyche and since then, mental institutions and their patients have been viewed in brighter and more sympathetic light. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest was a groundbreaking film in history of Hollywood.
After the Frank Capra's It Happened One Night (1934), it became the first film to take 'Top 5' Oscar trophies: Best Actor, best actress, best film, best director and best cinematography. History was now engraved in gold as well.
As for Milos, he went on to make one more seminal film in 'Amadeus'. It was made on the life and deeds of Mozart, the enigmatic German music composer of Royal Vienna court. It became an Oscar darling as well.
As for Jack, he went on to become a legendary actor with most Oscar nominations and wins for a male actor. He trumped Marlon Brando, his idol and contemporaries such as Al Pacino and Robert De Niro, when it came to Oscars and greatness. Today is his birthday, so happy birthday Jack!!!
As for the film, you have heard enough. Now, go and watch it.
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