Review of Cool Hand Luke (1967) by Calum B — 03 Sep 2013

The anti-establishment attitude of the Sixties is personified in the lead character of Stuart Rosenberg's "Cool Hand Luke." While Paul Newman is indeed "cool" in every sense of the word in the title role, the film unfortunately fails to recreate that same restless energy and urgency of "Rebel Without A Cause" (1955) - the spiritual predecessor of "Cool Hand Luke" from the decade prior.

Luke Jackson (Newman) is caught vandalizing parking meters early one morning. As punishment for his deed, he is sentenced to a prison farm chain gang for two years. Unsurprisingly, Luke refuses to conform to the norms imposed on him by both the guards and the other prisoners. His defiance turns him into a folk hero among his fellow inmates but the prison staff is less amused by Luke's antics since his rebelliousness leads to repeated escape attempts from the camp. Defiant to the end, Luke eventually forces a final confrontation between himself and the system he so despises.

"Cool Hand Luke" is merely a serviceable vehicle for Newman. He turns in his usual stellar performance but the film is just one set piece after another interspersed with some occasional witty dialogue. The film does have some high-points - co-stars George Kennedy and Strother Martin are great and Dennis Hopper, Harry Dean Stanton and Wayne Rogers ably fill their smaller supporting roles. Also, the interplay between Luke and his mother (Jo Van Fleet) is genuinely touching and helps to add tremendous emotional depth to Luke's character. However, "Cool Hand Luke" does not take its exploration of conformity, individuality, and reform far enough. What could have been an in-depth and enlightening intellectual analysis of the society around us and our role within it ultimately winds up as just another routine tale of a spirited outsider.