Thread: Psychological disorders in "One Flew Over The Cuckoos N

I have to do a couple movie reviews as part of a final exam for psych., and one of the movies I chose was "One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest" with Jack Nicholson . The point of the reviews is to determine a psychological disorder displayed by 1 of the characters, and how that can be treated by a psychologist. If any of you are familiar with the movie Im sure your aware that it is a pretty powerful piece, and that there are many people in the movie who seem flat out nuts at first, but as the movie goes on the line blurs between the characters having a disoreder, and just having low self-esteem, and fear of authority. The specific character I have in mind is Billy, the nervous guy with a real bad stutter. In the end he ends up killing himself, because the nurse finds him sleeping with a women, and threatens to tell his mother. So obviously theres a psychological disorder apparent in Billy, but whats it called ?

any additional comments would be greatly appreciated

Psychological not psychiatric... hm you picked a toughie since Kesey said their main problem was being "little" men, diminished more so by falling into "The Combine" as the Chief calls "the system", and the film director clearly followed this. You have to argue he is wrong, with his own story.

True, I think im just going to pick a new movie. As good as it gets or something

As good as it gets

One of my favourite movies! Obsessive compulsive disorder.

AS GOOD AS IT GETS?: AN EXAMINATION OF THE MECHANISM AND MODE OF TREATMENT OF OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE DISORDER

Don't just copy it though. :wink:

I think that film (which is one of my favorites!) is symbolic of what happens if you give up and passively await fate to decide your course, whether that be a man-made such as the 'combine' or natural.

The loonies in the film allowed fear to rule them and that bred a timidity towards authority and this led to the danger of never questioning authority and blindly going wherever it says.

The film strongly demonstrated on a smaller scale, in a mental institute, the state of being weak-minded and fearful of taking control of ones life, which is why most of the inmates turned out to be there voluntarily. They didn't want to be in control and make their own decisions, and this is what caused their madness.

It was interesting to note how one of the inmates a controlling mother, and another a controlling wife. Yet even though they had that form of control in their life they still decided the asylum was the safest place to be.

What a dreadful state of affairs that is? What sort of life is that if one can't, or worse still, won't take the reigns and steer their own lives!

But consider, this is how the majority of 'sane' people live their lives anyway and delude themselves into thinking they have full power.
We allow corrupt governments to take control even when we passively bemoan them from our armchairs and do bugger all about it. So therefore we allow them to continue their activities.
We spend the majority of our time in employment where we are unhappy about work conditions, treatment from superiors, and pay.
We feel obliged to partake of Christmas and its rituals although we might not wish to for fear of being mean.
We must abide by laws in our societies whether we agree with those laws or not etc etc.
There are many instances where we allow others, apart from ourselves, to govern and direct our lives as well as influennce our experience of life.

As Dylan said 'Everybody's gotta serve somebody'

Yet we must try, as much as we choose to and can, to assert our beliefs and principles and at least attempt to oppose those things which go against it and influence those that we give the power to govern by our ideals.

I think the film illustrates what to expect if you give up the good fight completely

I think the film demonstrates what to expect if you forget how to say no. Your spirit dies and you are at life's mercy to toss you or train, or to pop pills in your mouth and send you to sleep.

Jack Nicholson and the Chief demonstrated the other side of the coin. The spirit that never gives up, that keeps fighting and knows how to say no in order to be able to say yes.

McMurphy Dared, The inmates knew, the spirit willed and big Chief kept silent.

To add what i'm sure many already know, Chief was the only one to escape the asylum in the end, so that tells us speak only when necessary, and play by the rules, because one man can never overtake a whole system by going against it.

Originally Posted by AeDeAeMn0886

To add what i'm sure many already know, Chief was the only one to escape the asylum in the end, so that tells us speak only when necessary, and play by the rules, because one man can never overtake a whole system by going against it.

No, one man can't overtake a whole system by going against it, but you don't have to always play by their rules

But there are countless men and women, throughout history who have influenced and changed the system by speaking up.

I guess the lesson is knowing when to speak and when to keep silent.

yeah but the question then becomes, do you always want to say the right thing at the right time ? Sounds kina boring to me

Originally Posted by AeDeAeMn0886

yeah but the question then becomes, do you always want to say the right thing at the right time ? Sounds kina boring to me

Boring?

Saying the wrong thing at the wrong time should only be done to achieve an objective or purpose and only when necessary.

To speak at the wrong times to simply make life exciting and interesting sounds like immaturity to me and could cause more excitement than you might want.

I suggest you study the nature of Harpocrates to understand the real meaning and value of silence.

Originally Posted by Absum!

I guess the lesson is knowing when to speak and when to keep silent.

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Originally Posted by Pong

Originally Posted by Absum!

I guess the lesson is knowing when to speak and when to keep silent.

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