1967 was a groundbreaking year not only for the American film industry, but for American society as a whole. The opposition movement to the Vietnam war, was beginning to emerge, with young people rebelling against the system. A total of 475,000 soldiers were serving in Vietnam and it was in 1967 that Boxer Muhammad Ali was stripped of his boxing world championship for refusing to be inducted into the US Army.
The summer of ’67 saw dozens of cities in America experience rioting and looting the worst being in Detroit on 23rd July, where 7000 national Guard were bought in to restore law and order on the streets. With the act of rebelling against authority becoming the norm, it only seemed natural that it would become depicted on the big screen.
There were many films in 1967 which featured anti-heroes at the centre of their plots, whether it be Bonnie and Clyde, The Graduate, The Dirty Dozen, or Point Blank. These were characters who didn’t abide by the rules. They lived on the edge of society and rebelled in ways that many would deem unlawful. They killed, they had sex, the drove fast and dangerously, and they lived just as fast and dangerous. The youth of the late 60s could connect to these characters, and see their own struggles and clashes with the authority finally being depicted on the big screen.
“What we’ve got here is… failure to communicate. Some men you just can’t reach.”
Out of all of these films, there’s something about Lucas “Luke” Jackson (played by the cooler than cool, Paul Newman) from Cool Hand Luke, which descends from a character to an icon in film history. Cool Hand Luke has one of cinema’s best character introductions and film openings.
The very first image we see is a red sign with the word “Violation” in bold white lettering, we quickly learn that these are the tops of parking meters which Luke is cutting off. It is worth mentioning that after the filming, the city of Lodi, did not replace the meters, and for many years afterward, you could go there and see a block-long row of metal posts sans meters.
We don’t see Luke’s face at first, just his feet and his hands, which adds another layer to this mystery. The camera pans up so we see Luke in full view, just as the words “Paul Newman” appear on screen. For a brief second, Newman looks directly at the camera and flashes us a grin. As character introductions go, this is one of the best, because we already establish so much about this character, without a single word of dialogue being uttered.
For his crime, Luke is sentenced to two years in prison and sent to a Florida chain gang prison run by a stern warden, the Captain (Strother Martin), and a stoic rifleman, Walking Boss Godfrey (Morgan Woodward), whose eyes are always covered by a pair of mirrored sunglasses. Godfrey represents the nameless, faceless men who always seem to be in a position of power, exerting their control over the masses.
From the get go, Luke is the outsider who upsets the apple cart. He refuses to observe the established pecking order among the prisoners and quickly runs gains the attention of the prisoners’ leader, Dragline (George Kennedy). When the pair have a boxing match, the prisoners and guards watch with interest. Although Luke is severely outmatched by his larger opponent, he refuses to quit. Eventually, Dragline refuses to continue the fight. Luke’s tenacity earns the prisoners’ respect, but it draws the attention of the guards, who see him as a threat to their establishment.
He’s not just a charismatic anti-hero, but as Roger Ebert so brilliantly puts it, “[he is more of a] willing martyr, a man so obsessed with the wrongness of the world that he invites death to prove himself correct.” We often see the anti-hero as being someone narcissistic and unsympathetic, but Luke is full of humanity and genuine compassion for his fellow-man. He has his flaws, but he is very much human.
Luke knows that one man can’t bring down an entire system on their own, but their story may inspire others to unite, and there’s something so beautiful about the message of Cool Hand Luke. Don’t be afraid, not to conform.
As Ebert stated, Luke is a martyr. The film makes multiple references to religion and the act of sacrifice. Luke is seen as a savior by the other convicts, as he gives them hope. After the egg-eating contest, he is laid out on the table in a posture resembling the Crucifixion. The camera cuts to a close-up of Luke’s smile as someone exclaims, “No one can eat fifty eggs”, no one will ever believe what has taken place and Luke will become the stuff of myth and legends. And, myths and legends can offer us ope. Even when your freedom is taken away from you, we can still hold onto the element of hope.
However, the film implies that man can’t simply rely on God for answers and solutions to life’s problems. In the film’s climax, Luke finds himself hiding in a church. He begins to pray, asking for help although he admits that he’s a “pretty evil fellow”, he goes on to blame God for his current troubles. “I know I got no call to ask for much… but even so, You’ve got to admit You ain’t dealt me no cards in a long time. It’s beginning to look like You got things fixed so I can’t never win out.”
On cue, the law finally catches up with him and the headlights of a cop car shine through the window. Luke can only respond by shaking his head and smiling. “Is that Your answer, Old Man? I guess You’re a hard case, too.” The film implies that sometimes the act of sacrifice is necessary, and of course we know that Luke won’t be escaping from this confrontation.
Luke’s death is witnessed by Dragline, and like all deaths, it isn’t glamorous or epic, but tragic. Luke is shot in the neck. He staggers back and collapses, with his eyes wide in shock. But, when Dragline recalls the event back to his fellow convicts, he states that Luke “was smiling. That’s right. You know, that Luke smile of his. He had it on his face right to the very end.” Dragline knows the effect that Luke as the martyr will have on the convicts and how they can all benefit from this belief of Luke the martyr. He weaves this tale, not out of disrespect for his friend, but out of respect for him.
What we have with Cool Hand Luke, is not a film that fails to communicate with the viewer; but manages to connect with us on such a profound level. This is a film which still stands up today, and is still relevant. We need anti-heroes like Luke in our world. We need those indviduals who stand up against authority, who smile in the face of death and who eats fifty eggs in order to provide hope for others. Simply put, we all need to be a bit more like Lucas “Cool Hand Luke” Jackson.
