Takin' it off over here Boss! (Cool Hand Luke (DVD))

Member Name: yesidoo

Product:	Cool Hand Luke (DVD)
Date:	17/08/00 (142 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Good Acting, Good story

Disadvantages: none

Paul newman plays his best role in this film.

Having been caught stealing from a Parking meter, he is sentenced to the chain gang.

Luke Jackson, a non conformist now finds himself struggling to come to terms with life the "Bosses" who rule with iron fists.
Lukes first dabble with danger, is when he enters the prison, and almost immediatly finds himself in a fight with Dragline, the current "leader" of the prisoners.
It is obvious from the offing, that Luke is doomed to lose this fight, given the pure stature of Drag. However this is not taking into account the resillience of Luke. Punch after punch Luke gets up, well past any one else would have given up, Luke refuses, he will not be beaten. This earns him the respect of both Drag and the fellow prisoners. They like his spirit.

That is the theme throughout the film. For me the most poigniant part, is when the men are forced to lay a road. Usually they are worked from dusk till dawn by a particulary nasty officer, who never takes off his glasses. Luke drums up the spirit of the men, telling them that the faster they do the road, the more rest they will have at the end of the day.

The men become faster and faster, and happier at the prosepect of pulling one over the officer, who is left trailing behind checking the road. They finsih in record time.

Luke will take up any challenge to prove himself, including the famous 50 hard boiled eggs contest!! Even if it did make him VERY ill!

Desperate to leave, he excapes several times, as his intelligence is far superior to the officers, but unfortunatly he keeps getting caught.
But he has a vivid imagination, and entertains hi s fellow inmates, with his tales of women and booze, to while away the loneliness. After another excape attempt, Luke sends them a copy of Outdoor Life magazine, with a picture of himself in a suit and bowtie, with his arm around a beautiful woman.
The men are elat
ed to see him so happy but are brought crashing down to earth when they realise that, Luke is back again!!! It was all a scam. he just wantd them to be happy.

Finally, after much resistence, he loses his spirit when he is made to dig and redig a hole after 24 hours of work straight throught with no break, he has to do this for hours, days even. Too exhausted to do anymore he finally tells the boss " oh god, I pray to god, don't you hit me no more", Boss paul asks him, "you got your mind right Luke?"

This gives him the signal to end the torure. His spirit broken, his body exhausted, he is taken back to his room, only to be met with disgust by his inmates who had been feeding off his strength. He has none left to share anymore.

Luke begins his new role as a subservient slave to the bosses, fetching and carrying for the bosses to the disgust of his fellow men, who hate to see him like this. He was their hero.
But luke is no ordinary boy, and although his sprit was broken, he can start again! and seizes his next oppotunity to excape.

The film ends very sadly but ends with that ole coolhand Luke smile!

A brilliant film about one mans struggle as a loner to conform to what the "bosses" want from him as well as the inmates. Not to be missed

Summary: