Review of Cool Hand Luke (1967) by Ann D — 29 Apr 2010
A well-directed mainstream movie with an academy award-winning (richly deserved) supporting turn by George Kennedy. the film is most effective in its episodes depicting how Luke (Newman, glamorous and believable) earns the respect and devotion of the chain gang, convincingly demonstrating how a charismatic leader progresses to the top of the food chain.
the escape attempts and daily chain gang tasks were also engagingly rendered, again a tribute to how the film creates entertaining, episodic situations. I felt that luke could have been better explored outside of the confines of his iconic traits.
the film errs terribly in a scene where luke's dying mother visits, whiffing at an opportunity to develop an idea of the character pre-prison. the film also struggles to attain a cohesive sense of grittiness, as prison life is depicted as alternately too tame and chillingly brutal.
The implausibility of a decorated war hero getting 2 years of hard labor on a prison chain gang for destroying a few parking meters also undercuts the central premise.
This review of Cool Hand Luke (1967) was written by Ann D on 29 Apr 2010.
Cool Hand Luke has generally received very positive reviews.
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