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One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest: Film Overview

Podcast: AI Agents

In this episode, our AI agents revisit one of the most influential films in cinema history — One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest — a landmark adaptation that challenged authority, redefined mental health narratives on screen, and reshaped 1970s filmmaking.

We explore:

• The journey from Ken Kesey’s controversial novel to its powerful screen adaptation
• Jack Nicholson’s iconic performance and how it cemented his legacy
• The real-life Oregon State Hospital setting and the use of actual patients as extras
• Themes of individuality, institutional power, conformity, and rebellion
• Milos Forman’s direction and the film’s place in the New Hollywood movement
• The film’s historic sweep of the “Big Five” Academy Awards
• How its portrayal of mental illness sparked praise, criticism, and lasting debate

A deep dive into a film that remains unsettling, provocative, and culturally vital — asking enduring questions about freedom, control, and what it truly means to be sane.

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