When slick Luke Jackson (Paul Newman), gets sent to a prison work farm, he gives the guards and the merciless warden (Strother Martin), a little bit of a hard time. Luke then comes to terms with the fact that the men who work here run a tight ship, and if the guards and the warden aren’t listened to, then they’ll get sent to the Box. Luke finds a “new friend”, Dragline, the tough guy on the farm (George Kennedy). Dragline likes Luke’s strong will to not give up, and that he is far more hard headed than the warden and the guards. Luke does not make things easy for them, as he repeatedly escapes and quarrels with prisoners. Luke gets sent to solitary confinement–in which makes him a living and breathing hero–and realizes that it wasn’t so bad. However, his will to leave triumphs. He then has one last idea to get out officially, and all he needs is a couple of people, and time.
Cool Hand Luke is truly a classic film from the outstanding American Film Institute. Paul Newman shows his calm, cool, and collected nature which is very appealing to viewers. Newman truly shows how talented of an actor he is, while working alongside Strother Martin in his most despicable, greatest role with George Kennedy. George winning an Oscar was the only award the movie won, but it’s overall became a timeless prison classic with some memorable lines, and the very first film for one of the best actors. Paul Newman captures a truly dramatic performance of how shattered a person can be. I give the film 2 gold bars for good acting, setting/photography, and a silver bar for directing. I will see you the next time you want to come back to the movies.