Cool Hand Luke

< Previous Trailer  |   Add to My Scrapbook  |   Next Trailer >
Cool Hand Luke

93% Liked It
liked it

Cool Hand Luke

Anthony Zerbe, Dennis Hopper, George Kennedy, Harry Dean Stanton, J.D. Cannon, Jo Van Fleet, Joe Don Baker, Lou Antonio, Paul Newman, Robert Drivas, Strother Martin

A brooding loner is sentenced to a prison chain-gang, stands up to the Nazi-like guards, and eventually becomes the leader of his fellow prisoners.

Id: 10978182

Do you want to see this movie?

My Friends Said...

Cool Hand Luke Recent Reviews

Register or sign-in to see your friends' reviews !

Recent Reviews

Cool Hand Luke Recent Reviews
  • SirPant
    September 30, 2009
    SirPant
    The ultimate anti-hero, Cool Hand Luke said a lot about the 60's and still stands up today. Fight the system, the system will probably win but at least you didn't bend over and take it!
  • mrpopcorn
    January 15, 2009
    mrpopcorn
    "What we've got here is failure to communicate."

    Luke Jackson (Paul Newman) is sentenced to a stretch on a southern chain gang after he's arrested for drunkenly decapitating parking meters. While the avowed ambition of the captain (Strother Martin) is for each prisoner to...( read more) "get their mind right," it soon becomes obvious that Luke is not about to kowtow to anybody. When challenged to a fistfight by fellow inmate Dragline (George Kennedy), Luke simply refuses to give up, even though he's brutally beaten. Luke knows how to win at poker, even with bad cards, by using his smarts and playing it cool. Luke also figures out a way for the men to get their work done in half the usual time, giving them the afternoon off. Finally, when Luke finds out his mother has died, he plots his escape; when he's caught, he simply escapes again. Soon, Luke becomes a symbol of hope and resilience to the other men in the prison camp -- and a symbol of rebelliousness that must be stamped out to the guards and the captain.

    Review
    Cool Hand Luke is a great film that will last the ages. Newman's portrayal of the impulsive loner with the undying will is unforgettable, and Lucas Jackson may be one of the most memorable movie characters of all time. Luke's unfaltering spirit in the face of a life that never seems to deal him a fair hand will probably win you over sooner than later. A superb supporting cast, (including George Kennedy in his Oscar winning performance and Strother Martin ("what we got heehr is...failyuh to com-municate"), along with fine direction from Stuart Rosenberg catapult this timeless story, of an individual adrift in a vast and faceless world, towards classic status.

    The basic plot line follows thus: Luke is arrested for the silliest of crimes and sent to prison (where the prisoners often work on a sort of chain gang, although largely without the chains). The atmosphere of the prison camp almost immediately begins to change after Luke's arrival, though not due to any conscious effort from his part. Just because he is who he is. At first, the other prisoners are hostile but they soon warm to him. They seem to begin feeling real camaraderie--perhaps even some unity. Some of the most memorable scenes naturally stick in your mind: Luke's endless boxing match, the eggs (!), his escapes, and even when Luke is beaten by the prison captain...and, of course, the unforgettable smile. A legendary performance from Newman and a true classic.
  • Julie
    January 4, 2009
    Julie
    I can eat 50 eggs.
  • bradwest
    November 1, 2008
    bradwest
    One of those seminal prison dramas. Excellent cast and no matter how many times you've seen it, you get caught up in things.
  • sanjurosamurai
    October 22, 2008
    sanjurosamurai
    cool hand luke is a fun movie. it suffers from a slow pace and the complete lack of a plot, but newman is excellent as always and the end was perfect. the film also had some unforgetable moments, like the boxing match and the egg eating, cementing this as a very good film and a...( read more) must see for paul newman fans.
  • thegospel2
    November 13, 2009
    thegospel2
    "Quit livin' through me"
  • marylanenalyram
    November 9, 2009
    marylanenalyram
    I'd take this over any real career path.
    super hero
  • theloneowl
    November 6, 2009
    theloneowl
    C'è poco da dire, epico.
  • g0y
    November 4, 2009
    g0y
    Another film that captures prison monotony, with possible Bresson influences and an obvious influence to Shawshank. Again: why would anyone care for feeling monotony? More often than not it will appear with no cinematic force. Two-thirds gets a 0/10, last third gets 5/10. And all...( read more) the actors are douches for speaking with annoying accents.
  • spacecasefukface
    November 2, 2009
    spacecasefukface
    i couldent even begin to tell you how many times ive seen this film.
    This is newman at his greatest!!!!!!!!
    "nobody can eat 50 eggs" great supporting cast (george kennedy, a very young dennis hopper,Harry Dean Stanton)and great direction by Stuart Rosenberg(amityville horror)
View All Reviews

Opening This Week

Top Box Office

Upcoming Movies

New on DVD