Paul Newman stars at the title character in Cool Hand Luke, a tale about a man who simply refuses to conform. Imprisoned for beheading parking meters while intoxicated, Luke spends his days on a southern chain gang without complaint or much emotion. He 'wins' even when events are against him through an implacably calm disposition- he comes out on top despite having nothing. The authorities, though, don't take kindly to Luke, and look to break him and 'get his mind right' through overly cruel punishment. Can they break Cool Hand?
This 1967 film is widely liked (on Rotten Tomatoes, at least) and may have been top-notch in its time. Now, however, it feels slow and (mostly) dull. Newman's character is fun, to be sure- the character has a "content in all situations" feel that's really appealing- and the overall premise is interesting when one looks at the prison as allegorical. That aside, modern films, to which I've apparently become accustomed, appear to deliver messages in much more compelling fashions. Perhaps, in the end "what we have here is a failure to communicate,"* with older films being more subtle and featuring less spoon feeding than their current counterparts.
Rating: B-
*the famous line from this movie
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