I’ve watched three movies since Renee and I instituted Movie Night a few weeks ago – Out of Africa, A Streetcar named Desire, and Cool Hand Luke.  At the end of each viewing, Renee and I score the film 1 through 5 (5 being best).

Out of Africa = 4, Streetcar = 3, and Luke = 4.5

They are all worth seeing, but my first “editorial” will be on Cool Hand Luke (1967, starring Paul Newman).

CHL is a classic “rebel” film that can easily be associated with films such as Rebel without a cause, The Wild One, The Graduate, One flew over the cuckoo’s nest, and Easy Rider – specifically one from the late 60’s early 70’s – themed with taking on society/establishment.  The film is written and directed in the form of telling the story of a character (not so much an action or event).  You follow Luke (Newman) throughout the movie and relate, hate, love, and admire the person. 

The story tells of a war hero who, after a drunken night, ends up having to serve in a chain gang in the south.  At first, Luke appears to be a quiet outsider who doesn’t flow with society, or even his fellow inmates, without a care.  As the story continues, and specifically after a famous scene where Luke has a boxing match with a fellow inmate, you begin to grab hold of Luke’s persona and, much like the inmates, he wins you over.  It is clear in the movie, much like many westerns and rebel movies, that Luke actually doesn’t “hate” prison because, being such a loner outside without the ability to “fit in”, he is comfortable there and with his friends.  Like has to serve two years, but he doesn’t seem bothered at all – until, of course, he gets word of his mothers death and the warden/”Captain” decides to keep him in confinement to insure Luke doesn’t think of breaking out to go to the funeral.  This is the turning point in the film because Luke now views the prison guards, who he early seemed to bond with, as the “establishment” and immediately begins to “stick it to the man”!  Luke then proceeds to break out on a couple of instances, further justifying his idolism by his fellow inmates.  His spirit gets stronger than even before (which seems hard to fathom) as he creatively out smarts everyone time and again.  The most critical scene of the film follows his second break, when the Captain and guards test Luke’s spirit with an incredible display of labor which results in a scene of Luke finally succumbing to the guards and “getting his head on straight”.  In doing so, he inadvertently loses all faith from his former idolizers.  The scene, as Luke falls and no-one is there to pick him up, reminded me of the Gary Cooper Western “High Noon”.

Once again, however, Luke outsmarts the guards and is off again. 

In the end of the movie, as I won’t give the details away, Luke’s spirit lives on forever as a “hope” that his spirit will continue to drive people to stand-up and fight against “the Man”.

Overall, Paul Newman’s acting was incredible, as was George Kennedy’s.  The story is a classic that probably set the stage for movies like Shawshank or shows like Prison Break.  Great story, great acting, and a great scene featuring a smoking hot blonde washing a car!