Cool Hand Luke is perhaps Paul Newman's most memorable character. He was outstanding as Hud, but he seems to have topped that performance in this 1967 classic.
Newman plays a man named Luke. After cutting the heads off some parking meters, he is thrown into a prison system where he's forced to do some hard time tending to country roads. This character has to be one of the biggest enigmas in film history. Luke is likable enough. His mother points out to him that he's even had some good jobs. The viewer is left to ponder why in the heck he can't stay out of trouble.
Not much is told about his past. We know he fought WWII, and even won some medals. He has no wife or children to care for. He has a mother who appears to be dying of lung cancer or some such ailment. His other family members seem to hold a grudge against him. We never really learn why he feels the need to cut the heads off the parking meters, but he's caught red-handed. The prison he's sent to makes its inmates work their tails off, but it looks like they'll treat you fairly if you follow their rules. Luke has no intentions of following any rules laid down by the warden or the "bosses" that watch over the road work, though.
After taking a tremendous beating from the toughest inmate (Kennedy), Luke quickly begins to win the admiration of his fellow prisoners. His spirit catches on with the others, and they begin to get their work done more quickly and effectively than ever before. Things begin to go downhill for Luke once he learns of his mother's passing. He repeatedly tries to escape, and soon the warden and his cronies are out to break his spirit and make him conform. The film becomes a test of wills, and a fascinating character study.
The biggest question the viewer is left with is "why?". Luke could have simply served out his time and then gone on to a more normal existence. That seems to be out of the realm of possibilities for the character, however. He isn't simply out to impress the other prisoners. At one point he even demands they stop trying to feed off of him for all their strength. Luke seems like a man who simply cannot allow others to tell him how to live. There are a few moments where he openly questions the existence of God, but that angle doesn't go very far. It merely makes the guards want to abuse him even more, but that's about it. It becomes almost frustrating to see this man keep digging a bigger and bigger hole for himself. At one point Luke is forced to literally do just that.
What exactly is the film trying to tell us? It doesn't seem to be advocating disobedience. We cheer for Luke when he's causing trouble for the guards, but we feel his pain when they punish him. The film's conclusion is more somber than inspiring.
Rosenberg's direction is outstanding, and the supporting cast shines. George Kennedy earned an Oscar for his performance. Overall this is an excellent film not to be missed! 10 of 10 stars from The Hound.
Newman plays a man named Luke. After cutting the heads off some parking meters, he is thrown into a prison system where he's forced to do some hard time tending to country roads. This character has to be one of the biggest enigmas in film history. Luke is likable enough. His mother points out to him that he's even had some good jobs. The viewer is left to ponder why in the heck he can't stay out of trouble.
Not much is told about his past. We know he fought WWII, and even won some medals. He has no wife or children to care for. He has a mother who appears to be dying of lung cancer or some such ailment. His other family members seem to hold a grudge against him. We never really learn why he feels the need to cut the heads off the parking meters, but he's caught red-handed. The prison he's sent to makes its inmates work their tails off, but it looks like they'll treat you fairly if you follow their rules. Luke has no intentions of following any rules laid down by the warden or the "bosses" that watch over the road work, though.
After taking a tremendous beating from the toughest inmate (Kennedy), Luke quickly begins to win the admiration of his fellow prisoners. His spirit catches on with the others, and they begin to get their work done more quickly and effectively than ever before. Things begin to go downhill for Luke once he learns of his mother's passing. He repeatedly tries to escape, and soon the warden and his cronies are out to break his spirit and make him conform. The film becomes a test of wills, and a fascinating character study.
The biggest question the viewer is left with is "why?". Luke could have simply served out his time and then gone on to a more normal existence. That seems to be out of the realm of possibilities for the character, however. He isn't simply out to impress the other prisoners. At one point he even demands they stop trying to feed off of him for all their strength. Luke seems like a man who simply cannot allow others to tell him how to live. There are a few moments where he openly questions the existence of God, but that angle doesn't go very far. It merely makes the guards want to abuse him even more, but that's about it. It becomes almost frustrating to see this man keep digging a bigger and bigger hole for himself. At one point Luke is forced to literally do just that.
What exactly is the film trying to tell us? It doesn't seem to be advocating disobedience. We cheer for Luke when he's causing trouble for the guards, but we feel his pain when they punish him. The film's conclusion is more somber than inspiring.
Rosenberg's direction is outstanding, and the supporting cast shines. George Kennedy earned an Oscar for his performance. Overall this is an excellent film not to be missed! 10 of 10 stars from The Hound.