Changing of the Tide?: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

After the fall of the studio system, directors had more freedom to explore subjects that were once considered off limits or taboo. While many focused on the Vietnam War, like Apocalypse Now, and a generation testing sexual norms, such as Midnight Cowboy, very few directed films about the plight of Native Americans. Although One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest has very little to do with Native portrayals, the relationship between Jack Nicholson and the character Chief is significant. It is significant in the fact that even though the director's focus is completely non-Native, he still makes a pass at questioning the portrayal of Native Americans. Chief is a massive lumbering mental patient who speaks to no one and is presumed to be mute. Jack Nicholson's character confides in Chief that he hates the mental ward and wishes to break free. In a private moment, Nicholson talks to Chief and then offers him a piece of chewing gum. To Nicholson's astonishment the Chief says "thank you" and the two share a laugh over the Chief's ability to fool all of the staff at the mental ward. But more importantly, it is the directors commentary on the nature of Native stereotypes. In a sense, Native actors or natives in general have the ability to revel in the fact that they are able to play on stereotypes to their advantage. However, there is an important caveat to this agency. Natives are still playing within the established system. They are not controlling their own images or portrayals of their culture.