Review of Cool Hand Luke (1967) by Luke M — 29 Mar 2015

One problem with society is its tendency to marginalize those who are different or don't fit in and, to a degree, this is what COOL HAND LUKE is about. Luke is a loner who is picked up by the cops one evening for cutting the heads off parking meters while drunk.

However inconsequential this crime might seem, it gets him two years on a chain gang and what transpires over the next couple of hours shows how one man resists a system which seemingly has no place (or use) for him.

Despite the overall downbeat tone, the film still manages to have a sense of humor which is heavily derived from situations that one might find while in prison. It also helps that Paul Newman as Luke is so likeable and "cool.

" The title of the film comes from a scene in which Luke is playing poker with the other guys and wins by bluffing the other guy into folding. He says that "Sometimes nothing is a cool hand," and from then on is called "Cool Hand Luke.

" Aside from Paul Newman's excellent performance, Strother Martin gives a great turn as the prison captain who, while seemingly easygoing on the surface, is quite authoritarian and does everything in his power to beat Luke into submission.

He also gets an awesome quote which has become quite famous: "What we've got here is a failure to communicate." Not only is that a great line, but the way in which he delivers it suggests a weariness with the way that Luke has thus far managed to resist being broken.

It was also nice to see Harry Dean Stanton, Ralph Waite and Dennis Hopper in supporting roles. Lastly, the cinematography and score by Lalo Schifrin were also excellent. My favorite element was a repeated closeup of a guard's sunglasses which showed the reflection of what he was looking at, and in general, the on-location shooting gave a very palpable sense of what the characters were feeling whether it was the scorching sun or pouring rain.

Overall, this is an outstanding entry in that latter days of Hollywood's golden age which has been extremely influential on the films that have come after it. Whether you feel like you fit in or not, COOL HAND LUKE tells a great story with fine performances from its cast.