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Cool Hand Luke

Paul Newman plays Luke Jackson in the legendary classic, Cool Hand Luke. The film is based on the novel, Cool Hand Luke, which was published in 1965. The novelist, Donn Pearce, spent two years on a Florida chain gang after being arrested for burglary. This experience helped him to create what many call a very realistic glimpse into 1960’s prison life. Directed by Stuart Rosenberg, the film was released in 1967. Donn Pearce and Frank Pierson adapted the novel into an Academy Award-nominated screenplay. George Kennedy won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in his role as Dragline.

Cool Hand Luke is a true character study. The film is set in a prison camp, the place where Luke Jackson ends up after being arrested for cutting the heads off parking meters. At first, Luke seems to be just another rebellious loser. Carefully placed insights into Luke’s past are given as the film progresses. For instance, we find out that he was a decorated war hero who came home a private. These brief glimpses allow Luke’s true nature to be revealed. He is a man who refuses to conform, a man who questions authority, a man who goes on in the face of adversity.

Newman gives one of his most captivating performances in the role of Luke Jackson. Cool Hand Luke also produced many now famous lines, including, “What we've got here is...failure to communicate,” and, “Yeah, well, sometimes nothin' can be a real cool hand.”

Cool Hand Luke is a brilliantly executed film, an ageless must see for the rebel in all of us.

Written by: Christina Sain-Griffie

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