Film and Aesthetics

The first film chosen for this discussion was that of Midnight Cowboy (1969). This film follows the narrative of a Texas hustler as he leaves behind his life in Texas with its bad memories, to head for New York City where his goal is to become a monetarily successful hustler.

First of all, the title implies a cowboy. While he may have figuratively been seen as a cowboy, a man unconnected and seeking employment within the bounds of any barn that will have him, he is also a literal cowboy. The character was raised in Texas. While living with his grandmother who abused him physically, sexually and emotionally, he utilized a cowboy fantasy to escape. This fantasy was further emphasized by his grandmother's pet nickname for him (Lil cowboy

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he Chief uses his height to help MacMurphy to climb up and over (flying over the nest ever so briefly) the fence, into the tree and down into the bus that allows them all to have a glimpse of freedom outside of Nurse Ratchett. While fishing, all of them are free. Another character that the audience sympathizes with is that of Billy, who is in the institution voluntarily. Aesthetically, the audience is constantly reminded of the bars on the windows that resemble a bird's cage. Once Billy is given the chance to fly by being served a woman for the night, Ratchett brings to his attention how great the friendship is between his mother and her. He is reduced to his stuttering sputtering fearful self and the canary is forced to sing in another room. Aesthetically, he too escapes the cuckoo's nest, but through death. Another interesting aesthetic point is that of the facts surrounding the cuckoo. The cuckoo is commonly found in Germany. Generally considered a tree bird, cuckoos may also be found outside of the forest. Aesthetically, Ratchett was a woman of the human race, yet she was in charge of the nest outside the normal special bounds. Each male cuckoo maintains a large territory and defends it against competitors. Aesthetic
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Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1623
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page)

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