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Cool Hand Luke
1967
In this classic Southern prison drama, social misfit Lucas Luke Jackson (Paul Newman) is incarcerated for a petty crime and sentenced to a chain gang. Luke is a sullen and laconic young man whose cool defiance of the sadistic warden and bullying inmates earns him the title Cool Hand Luke. But as the prisoners' respect for Luke .. Read more
| Starring | Paul Newman, George Kennedy, Dennis Hopper, Strother Martin |
|---|---|
| Director | Stuart Rosenberg |
| Genres | Drama |
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Cool Hand Luke
In this classic Southern prison drama, social misfit Lucas Luke Jackson (Paul Newman) is incarcerated for a petty crime and sentenced to a chain gang. Luke is a sullen and laconic young man whose cool defiance of the sadistic warden and bullying inmates earns him the title Cool Hand Luke. But as the prisoners' respect for Luke grows into hero worship, he finds that he must risk everything in order to live up to their expectations.
Filled with dozens of memorable scenes (Luke eating 50 eggs) and quotable lines (What we have here is a failure to communicate), COOL HAND LUKE is a testament to excellent screenwriting (Donn Pearce and Frank Pierson) and Newman's charm and skill as an actor. The film also features an outstanding supporting cast that includes George Kennedy, Strother Martin, and early screen appearances by Dennis Hopper and Harry Dean Stanton.
| Starring | Paul Newman, George Kennedy, Dennis Hopper, Strother Martin, J.D. Cannon, Wayne Rogers, Anthony Zerbe, Ralph Waite, Harry Dean Stanton, Joe Don Baker, Clifton James, Lou Antonio, Morgan Woodward |
|---|---|
| Director | Stuart Rosenberg |
| Studio | WARNER HOME VIDEO |
| Run time | DVD: 2 hrs 1 min Blu-ray: 2 hrs 1 min |
| Certificate | |
| Genres | Drama |
| Language | English |
| Released | DVD: 01 Feb 2006 Blu-ray: 15 Sep 2008 Production year: 1967 |
| Format | DVD |
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Critics' reviews (5)
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Chiming perfectly with the “Summer of Love” in which it was released, this subtle blend of acknowledging the needs of the individual and respecting a freedom of spirit was one of the key American films of the 1960s. It's basically an old-fashioned chain-gang movie — not much had changed at Warner Bros since the days of Paul Muni's I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang — except that this time the tale is told in stunning Technicolor. Paul Newman is superb in the Muni role, and both the prologue and the egg-eating scene have become screen classics. The religious symbolism does get a little tiresome, but the movie is clearly the career high point of director Stuart Rosenberg and a real credit to Jack Lemmon's production company. The film was also influential in the massive popularity of Raybans!
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Allegedly a Christ-allegory, this well-made and good-looking film is only partially successful as an entertainment; slow stretches of soul-searching alternate with brutality, and not much acting is possible.
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Most helpful member's review
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6 out of 6 people found this review helpful
A True Classic
This film successfully transports the viewer into the troubled world of Luke, a popular (but not necessarily seeking popularity) man. He at some point hits the self-destruct button but I loved him and was totally absorbed in his struggle against both the system and life generally. A great film which is a triumph of substance over action.
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Most recent members' review
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2 out of 3 people found this review helpful
All time classic
All time classic 'Prisoner' Movie. Some scenes are infamous in film history and have been copied, in some form or another many times over.
Classic scenes from this film are reqularly quoted in TV's obsession with 'TOP 10' lists.
These include:
The carwash scene,
Boiled eggs
and the prison visit. -
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