The Natural World in Oregon
At the very beginning of the film, the viewer sees the natural beauty of Oregon as reflected in the mountains and vegetation of the outdoors. This serves to frame the movie as a whole, as the natural beauty of the outside world is contrasted with the echoing and impersonal halls of the hospital. The metaphor of the title, that of a bird flying the nest, is enriched by the beauty of the landscape: here is where one would fly, if he could. Additionally, McMurphy looks almost enviously at a squirrel climbing the fence of the hospital ground. The men feel most comfortable and free when they are out on the boat catching fish. The natural world represents freedom from the oppression that, for the patients at least, characterizes human society.
The Halls of the Ward
The natural world is contrasted with the halls of the ward, which are sterile and homogenous. Throughout the film, clinical sounds echo down the halls of the hospital. Danger can be felt just from the footsteps of a supervisor or a nurse walking down the corridors, and door slams and gates closing signify confinement and limitation.
The Basketball Court and Sports
The basketball court represents a space in which the men can come together as companions and find fun together in ways that are generally not allowed them inside the hospital. McMurphy teaches them to play basketball, and although they are not very good, they relish being able to play with one another. Chief's height is an asset on the basketball court, whereas in the rest of his life, it seems as though he is trying to make himself small or limit himself in the eyes of the world. Watching the World Series game becomes a main point of contention with Nurse Ratched, but when the men can imagine their own game, they feel a collective joy and togetherness. Fishing on the boat is another moment in which sports bring the men together.
Classical Music
The soundtrack is sparse throughout the movie, with long stretches of silence. Classical music plays often in the ward, however, as Nurse Ratched wants to play "calming" music for the patients. McMurphy becomes annoyed when he feels she is playing the classical music too loudly, and they fight about whether she will turn it down. The classical music is preventing McMurphy from being able to concentrate on their board game. While sports bring the men together, classical music comes to symbolize the formality and alienation the men feel in the ward, as well as Ratched's tight hold on protocol.
