The last time I watched the movie I noticed how much Nicholson and Fletcher resemble each other - they could be related. A neat visualization of how the Shadow expresses the dark side of the Hero - McMurphy and Ratched both need to dominate every situation, and have the skills to do it, although McMurphy uses his powers for good. But they're two sides of the same coin.

Reading "Easy Riders, Raging Bulls" and interestingly Louise Fletcher was up for the lead female part in Robert Altman's Nashville when he gave it to Lily Tomlin instead. Fletcher claims that when she gave her Academy Award speech, Altman was in the audience mocking her sign-language message to her deaf parents even though he took Fletcher's real life story of having deaf parents and incorporated into Tomlin's character.