The setting of the movie, “One Flew Over The Coo Coos Nest (1975),” is in a mental institution. The director introduces Randall Patrick McMurphy, a character that the audience might not know what to think of him when he enters the mental institution. Nicholson exemplifies McMurphy as an individual that is seemingly not crazy when compared to other patients in the hospital. This provision makes other people think that he is faking his condition. He uses his manipulation skills to compel the other inmates to rebel against the rules of the institution since it is possible to view him as an individual that does not like it when other people have authority over him. He portrays himself as a nice person yet he is considered as a dangerous inmate due to his brilliance.
In spite of his charisma, McMurphy is a violent person. Nicholson exemplifies his inner life as a cunning individual that manipulates others into believing that he is not worthy of being in the mental institution. For instance, he initially obeys nurse Ratched primarily because he wants to create an impression that he does not have a mental problem. However, the nice portrayal of himself to other people begins to crack when he stays for a longer period in the institution. The cracks are revealed when he begins to undermine the control system implemented by Nurse Ratched while pretending to be the nice person that people know. However, he does not seem to fool the nurse, since she outsmarts each of his moves.
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McMurphy’s inner life could be likened to that of an individual that likes to trick other people into defying authority. In this case, his antics create trouble in the institution since he uses well thought out tricks to ensure that the other patients could break the spell that Nurse Ratched had over them. However, his rebellious character can only last for a short period since Nurse Ratched could read into his mischief and outsmart him before he could undermine her. The nurse ensures that all cards are stacked against him, which is an indication that it would be impossible for him to demean the institution’s authority. Regardless of his inability to appreciate authority, he is considered as a very smart individual but dangerous. The doctor confirms that his brain makes him a dangerous individual. Initially, it is not possible for the audience to tell that he is a dangerous person until he tried to kill the nurse.
Nicholson also portrays him as a sympathetic individual. Even though he is considered dangerous, he felt sorry for Billy. He expressed his sympathy when he tells Candy to sleep with Billy since he was concerned about his feelings. On the other hand, he reveals that he was a remorseful person when he blamed Nurse Ratched for Billy Bibbit’s suicide. Regardless of this revelation of his emotional character, the fact that he tried to kill the nurse still indicates that he is not only dangerous but a rebel as well. However, his wit subsides after he was sent for a lobotomy, which damaged his ability to use his brain. He was given the lobotomy because of his actions. In this case, the attempt to kill Nurse Ratched warranted the medical procedure, which rendered him inactive and unable to use his brilliance.
To summarize, it would be vital to take note of the provision that Nicholson’s exemplification of McMurphy was exemplary, primarily because he revealed McMurphy’s two contrasting personalities. A striking element that is discovered about his inner self is the provision that he was not only confident, cunning and methodical when dealing with people, but he was also a dangerous person that had the capability of killing Nurse Ratched. It would have been difficult for the audience to believe that he was a dangerous person from the onset, but his continued stay at the mental health institution began was the turning point to the revelation of his menacing character. Even though initially he was portrayed as a person that was pretending to be nice, he was also emotionally aware of the feelings of the other people. For instance, he felt sorry for Billy, which is a provision that might be referred to when arguing that he was also a human being that had emotions.
