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    I finally saw "Cool Hand Luke"
     
    By Molly Snyder Edler RSS Feed Twitter Feed
    OnMilwaukee.com Staff Writer

    E-mail author | Author bio
    More articles by Molly Snyder Edler

    What is a blog?  For us it is a short blurb that we write when the mood strikes us.  It can be first person, funny or informative. In short, a blog is whatever we want it to be. Published Nov. 11, 2007 at 10:04 a.m.
    Tags: "cool hand luke," paul newman, rebel, "rebel without a cause," dennis hopper, hard-boiled eggs

    "Cool Hand Luke" is one of those films that whenever I said I hadn't seen it, people reacted in surprise and mock horror. I don't know how I managed to have this cinematic blind spot for so many years, but finally, last night, AMC played the film (multiple times in a row) to celebrate its 40-year anniversary, and I saw it.

    I really enjoyed it, and not because it's a classic and I'm supposed to, but because it's simple yet epic, and includes a character that, in some ways, everyone wants to be more like. Luke (played by Paul Newman) has an unbreakable spirit that's inspiring, and his inability to conform to the rules of a Florida prison is the ultimate story of rebellion. In my opinion, "Cool Hand Luke" is way better then other famous rebel films like "Rebel Without A Cause" and "The Outsiders."

    I loved the language in this movie, like when Luke says he's in jail for "cuttin' off the heads of parking meters." Also, it was interesting to realize that a line from the film is a part of mainstream conversation. "What we've got here is (a) failure to communicate" is something I've heard many times in my life and never knew where it came from.

    Also, I didn't know that Dennis Hopper was in the cast. Hopper, who played a small role as a crazy inmate names Babalugats, has a great first scene where he prays next to his bunk by doing the "Here is the church, here is the steeple" hand game that little kids get into.

    The Catholic imagery was a little over-the-top for me, particularly in the closing pullback shot of a Christ-like Luke with outspread arms, lying on a table, after eating 50 boiled eggs.

    Also, I realized Paul Newman is really old. As old as the dirt he dug, replaced and re-dug in the famous ditch-digging scene. Granted, he was a spry, handsome guy during the filming of "Cool Hand Luke," but even 40 years ago, he was already showing signs of aging with awesome crinkles around his eyes. (A quick Google search told me he's 82.)

    My favorite scenes in the movie were the afore-mentioned scene when Luke eats the 50 boiled eggs, when his dying mother came to visit him (it's intense when she admits she always felt more of a connection to Luke than his brother) and when Luke has an emotional conversation with God, knowing he's at the end of the line. "I'm an evil man. Killing people in the war. I got drunk and chewed up municipal property" is a great line.

    On that note, I think I'll rent "Deliverance" this week. Never saw that one either. (Gasp.)

    6 comments about this article.
    Post a comment / write a review.

    Recent Talkbacks ...

    Posted by Skarzan on Nov. 16, 2007 at 10:49 a.m. (report)

    I'm glad you're willing to review a classic old movie but with all due respect, your review is lousy. Noticing "Paul Newman is really old" and had crinkles next to his eyes forty years ago is the kind of statement that belongs in a middle school play review. It's a forty year old movie, everyone in the movie is old or dead Molly. Add to that your review doesn't touch on any of the pathos and aspects of the human condition that give the film it's power (the reason people are still watching it today). Hope you can up your game.

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    Posted by sandstorm on Nov. 14, 2007 at 11:51 a.m. (report)

    is that sarcasm noid? if it's not that burger commercial with Paris would win Oscars, right?

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    Posted by Z_boy on Nov. 12, 2007 at 9:11 a.m. (report)

    High five, a_noid. High five!

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    Posted by CoolerKing on Nov. 12, 2007 at 9:05 a.m. (report)

    Aside from the stand out characters, you need to see it a couple of times to catch a lot of the known actors in one of their earliest films: Wayne Rogers, Harry Dean Stanton and Joe Don Baker appear in this. As does Ralph Waite (Pa Walton) and character actors Anthony Zerbe and Luke Askew. Also Ron Howard's dad, Rance Howard. If you blink, you'll miss all of these guys.

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    Posted by LegallyBlonde on Nov. 11, 2007 at 6:56 p.m. (report)

    Fabulous movie...love the egg scene, but my favorite scene is when he's in the hole. I don't know why, but those scenes were interesting as a child.

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    Show me the other Talkback
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