Cool Hand Luke (Deluxe Edition)

Near Perfection
Over the years, this film has become one of the most poular and widely viewed films of all time. It is one of those rare films that is both immensely entertaining and accessible, and also takes on the “big” questions of life in an effective way. If anything, it has been underappreciated by critics.Released in 1967, this film could almost be seen as the first example of “70’s” cinema, a film that succeeds in being artistic in all of the best senses of the word. It famously addresses both the question of the place of the individual in modern society, and humanity’s relationship to God, and does so in a deeply intelligent and endlessly thought-provoking way. And yet, it never comes off as even remotely pretentious and can be enjoyed by just about anyone as simply a good piece of entertainment.The character of Luke is very much like the character R.P. McMurphy as portrayed by Jack Nicholson in Ken Kesey’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Both are decorated war heroes and rebels who have their freedom taken away by the system over petty offenses against society. Both are fun-loving jokers who possess incredible levels of inner strength and determination. Both decide to take on the system in a deadly battle of wills with sinister, repressive authority figures. And both end up as Christ figures, giving up their own lives, but inspiring the men around them, giving them back a sense of hope and meaning in life. “Cuckoo’s Nest” swept the Oscars in 1976, but “Cool Hand Luke” didn’t receive its due in 1967, and its genius continues to get short shrift. Newman’s portrayal of Luke as envisioned by director Stuart Rosenberg is actually more interesting than Nicholson’s portrayal of McMurphy in “Cuckoo’s Nest”. McMurphy is a comic, charismatic force of nature, but he has little inner life. Luke, however, is fascinating as an individual who has so many gifts, but whose life is caught in a downward spiral of self-destruction. He is an individual who can do anything that he wants to do, and yet can’t find it in himself to care about anything enough to do anything other than laugh and rebel, because he can see no ultimate meaning in life. He is conflicted to the very end, searching for God and for meaning but unable to find either. The best that he can do is find what peace he can through resignation and detachment, “laughing it up” the best that he can. Luke is one of the most philosophical characters in one of the most philosophical films ever brought to the screen. You learn something about life just by watching it, if you look for it.In addition to all of this, the direction and cinematography of this film are both original and flawless. The cast is one of the best ever assembled on film. The music is a perfect fit for the storyline. The script contains some of the most quoted and quotable dialogue ever written, and a collection of unforgettable scenes. The new, deluxe edition is highly recommeded even for fans who already have the film, as it contains a very entertaining documentary piece about the making of the film, and a very interesting and thought-provoking “commentary” study of it as well.It simply doesn’t get any better than this.

Great experience
Great experience

Still shakin’ the bush, boss.
Paul Newman shines (and sweats buckets) in his iconic role as the title character of this 1967 film, a ne’er do well from a southern burg who ends up on a chain gang. He’s busted for cutting the “heads” off of parking meters while on a drunken spree, but by the end of this sly allegory, astute viewers will glean what his real crime is: being a non-conformist. Stuart Rosenberg’s direction is assured; as is the script by Donn Pearce and Frank Pierson (“Dog Day Afternoon”) The highlights include Strother Martin’s “failure to communicate” speech, Harry Dean Stanton singing “The Midnight Special”, the, um, car wash scene and of course George Kennedy’s Academy Award-winning supporting role. The cast also includes Ralph Waite, Dennis Hopper, Wayne Rogers, Anthony Zerbe (Dog Boy!), and Joy Harmon as the, um, car wash girl. Did I mention the car wash scene? It’s great news to hear about a deluxe edition due in September ’08, as the current DVD release is somewhat dodgy.

Wonderful Entertainment.
“Cool Hand Luke” is a classic movie and I remember being very impressed with it in the first run in the late 60s. Paul Newman portrays a slacker/rebel/antiestablishment/nonconformist young man who’s going to do things his own way no matter what the consequences. We’ve all known young people like him. Of course, he runs into problems with the law and gets thrown into the slammer for vandalism. That’s only the beginning of a long and complicated downhill run.It’s a rather depressing movie with a couple very funny and uplifting parts that are so good it makes watching the whole movie very worthwhile. One is the spot when the working prison gang passes by a scantly clad young lady washing a car and doing everything possible to attract the attention of the workers. Funny? Just amazing! A second very funny scene is where Luke claims that he can eat 50 eggs and then carries out the boast in an increasingly agonizing fashion. These two scenes save what might have been a rather dreary movie and turn it into a classic.The sound and photography are excellent. Paul Newman is outstanding and George Kennedy is the best I’ve ever seen him in any roll. It’s an excellent, if somewhat depressing story and makes for wonderful entertainment.Gary Peterson

Very American , but Paul Newman is excellent./

I bought this as a gift so I did not view this. I did however see this movie many times on TV. It is one of the top 100 old films of all time in my opinion