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50 years of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest! Interview
The majorly critically-acclaimed and commercially successful One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Miloš Forman turns 50. Tessa Idlewine, Senior Film Preservationist at the Academy Film Archive oversaw its restoration. Interview centered on the film presented at Cannes Classics.
How does One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest fit into Miloš Forman’s filmography?
It was the second of only three films in the history of the Oscars to sweep the “Big 5” categories: Actor, Actress, Directing, Adapted Screenplay, Best Picture. It includes powerhouse performances by Jack Nicholson and Louise Fletcher, and showcases then-newcomers Brad Dourif and Danny DeVito, both of whom would go on to have illustrious and successful careers in cinema. Speaking personally, I was born and raised in Oregon, where it was filmed, and so I did feel a special connection in that way, as it’s a well-known point of pride for residents of Oregon that such an important book, then film, was centered in our state. Besides, producer Paul Zaentz says it: the film is timeless:
“It’s a film about rebellion which still resonates across the world and, in the time we’re currently living in, it’s as important as when Ken Kesey wrote his novel in the 1960s.”
What was the process of the restoration?
The 35mm original negative and a 35mm textless interpositive were scanned in 4k and digitally restored at Roundabout Entertainment (as negatives are precious, interpositives are taken from the original negative, which is safely stored). Audio restoration was completed at Audio Mechanics from a 2001 5.1 printmaster, approved by the director Miloš Forman. A printmaster is the final, composite mix (dialogue, music and sound effects recorded together) of a film. In this instance, this wasn’t the original mix that Miloš Forman made in 1975, but rather a new 5.1 mix he approved in 2001, likely for a theatrical re-release of the film. The bulk of the restoration comes from the 35mm original negative, with the opening titles sequence using a 35mm textless interpositive.
In what condition was the original copy?
Thankfully, the 35mm original negative and interpositive were in wonderful, stable condition with no major deterioration or color fading. And there was no missing footage.
What was the main challenge you had to face with the restoration?
One main challenge we faced was having to find a source audio element, as the original audio elements couldn’t be located. Thankfully, we were able to use a 2001 5.1 theatrical mix printmaster that Miloš Forman approved at the time. Another challenge was the opening shot/titles of the film, which included quite a lot of distracting movement in both the picture and titles themselves. To address this, we replaced that sequence with a 35mm textless interpositive, painstakingly recreating the opening titles.
