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FILM DETAILS

Certificate 15

Cast Paul Newman George Kennedy Jo Van Fleet.

Directors Stuart Rosenberg.

Screenwriters Don Pearce Frank R Pierson.

Running Time 126 minutes

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Cool Hand Luke
An energetic inmate inspires his fellow inmates to rebel against the guards.

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Plot
After merely destroying parking meters, Paul Newman gets sent to prison where he becomes an inspiration to the other prisoners by refusing to let the guards get the better of him. Soon he is up in arms against the wardens which leads to a tragic outcome.

Review
A big hit in 1967, this is one of Paul Newman’s most significant films, casting him as a mooncalf vandal whose destructive pre-credits spree — decapitating parking meters — lands him on a prison farm where his uppity, rebellious, downright mule-headed attitude brings him into major league conflict with the guards and makes him a heroic martyr for the other cons.

One of those movies you remember Great Moments from: the egg-eating contest, warden Strother Martin complaining “what we got here is a failure to communicate”, George Kennedy winning an Academy Award as the toughest con who plays St Peter to Newman’s Jesus, the Evil Guard in Mirror Sunglasses, the card game that gets out of hand. Like One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest (which has the same plot), this is simultaneously a damn fine prison movie with all the clichés lovingly in place and a comic allegory of redemption in America. Fans of sweaty redneck character actors get a treat, what with J.D. Cannon, Anthony Zerbe, Joe Don Baker, Harry Dean Stanton, Dennis Hopper and Morgan Woodward in the same film.

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Average user rating for Cool Hand Luke

the most overlooked masterpeice in movie history - my favourite movie of all timee undeniably ... More

Posted by nesta37 at 23:42, 30 May 2009 | Report This Post

the most overlooked masterpeice in movie history - my favourite movie of all timee undeniably ... More

Posted by nesta37 at 23:42, 30 May 2009 | Report This Post

The Legend Paul Newman gives an outstanding performance in this excellent prison drama. ... More

Posted by beneb at 18:58, 15 December 2008 | Report This Post

One of Newman's most memorable performances. Excellent work. ... More

Posted by mingusman at 19:32, 19 March 2006 | Report This Post

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