100 Movie Challenge 2015 - # 20: Cool Hand Luke

Director: Stuart Rosenberg

Genre: Drama/ Crime

Runtime: 126 minutes

Year: 1967

Starring: Paul Newman, George Kennedy, J.D. Cannon, Lou Antonio, Robert Drivas, Strother Martin, Jo Van Fleet, Clifton James, Morgan Woodward, Luke Askew, Marc Cavell, Richard Davalos, Robert Donner, Warren Finnerty, Dennis Hopper, John McLiam, Wayne Rogers, Harry Dean Stanton, Charles Tyner, Ralph Waite, Anthony Zerbe, Buck Kartalian, Joy Harmon

Description: Luke Jackson (Paul Newman), nicknamed Cool Hand Luke, refuses to conform to life in a rural prison.

Review: Paul Newman said that the script of the film “Cool Hand Luke” was one of the best he had ever read. It’s not a surprise that Newman, who often plays the antihero, does a magnificent job. From the opening scene, where a drunk and cavalier Luke beheads a couple of parking meters. For this little crime he is send to a prison camp for two years. We see that Luke isn’t just a dumb drunk who wants to get caught, he was a war hero. Luke doesn’t really care about the rules in the camp and soon he gets a certain status.

Classic movies often have elements that come to mind when hearing the movie title, like the atmosphere, the development of the leading character and the supporting cast. “Cool Hand Luke” has many memorable moments, like the boxing match against Dragline where Luke refuses to give up and the bet where Luke has to eat fifty eggs in an hour.

Besides Luke, we don’t really get to know much about his fellow inmates. The movie focuses on Luke. With that, the character of Luke is one of the most beloved ones in cinema history.

This is definitely a movie we will all remember Paul Newman by. Luke Jackson is one of the best, maybe the best role he has ever played.

Rating: 4/ 5