The 1975 film One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest tells the story of R. McMurphy, a cunning nonconformist from the Oregon state prison system who dodges work camp by getting himself sent to a mental hospital for evaluation. Several clashes arise as the film progresses; some are evident, while others remain hidden from the viewer. The most easily recognized conflict is between the rough, rebellious nature of R. P. McMurphy and the slick, syrupy, totalitarian rule of Nurse Mildred Ratched.
Arriving at the mental institution, McMurphy is a cocky, laid back, troublemaker who believes that he has outsmarted the system. His first act after he is released from handcuffs is to dance around and kiss the policeman who freed him, in part to taunt the police and in part to show those monitoring him the crazed man that they expect. Despite his initial appearance it quickly becomes evident through his actions in the ward that McMurphy is no less sane than any member of the hospital staff. .
In his introduction to the ward, he carefully observes his fellow inmates, searching to learn of their personalities and disorders. Between the card game and the first session of group therapy McMurphy remains detached and on good behavior as he takes in his surroundings and learns the daily rituals put in place by Nurse Ratched. The impression given by the men in the ward is that they are seemingly hypnotized by the nurse, living without capability or desire to make decisions for themselves or contradict her in anyway. .
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McMurphy cautiously stands back at first, watching for a weakness in the nurse's system.
At the time of McMurphy's arrival Nurse Ratched was thoroughly in command of the ward. She had reduced each of her patients to the point that resistance was impossible by emphasizing their problem so as to make it appear incurable. Her ambition was to have the men succeed and behave in her world, rather than aiding their return to the real world.