Review of Cool Hand Luke (1967) by Rob N — 09 Mar 2013

Cool Hand Luke is a movie about a shallow character that got exactly what he deserved. There was little to like about him and the rest of the cast was there to simply act as sycophants or to try to make Luke out to be a victim (which he wasn't, he deserved to be in prison). The movie lacks any meaningful exchanges between Luke and his fellow inmates--he's either trying to elevate himself or they're trying to live vicariously through him. Most of the exchanges have the other prisoners talking "at" Luke not "with" him because it's obvious Luke doesn't give a crap about them. The only time I felt anything in this movie was when he was talking to his mother--but the slight twinge in my heart was for her not him. The only other emotion I felt was disgust at the egg eating contest.

If you want to see a far superior version of this movie watch "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" (on most points it is the same movie). The only reason I'm giving this movie two stars is because of the technical aspects of the movie; as for the rest of it: there's nothing "cool" about Cool Hand Luke.