cool hand luke cool hand luke american prison drama film directed starring featuring oscar winning performance newman stars title role luke prisoner florida prison camp refuses submit system film set early 1950s based novel sold story hired write script lack film experience studio added screenplay newman biographer states tough honest script drew threads earlier movies especially newman earlier film film cited roger_ebert anti establishment film shot time vietnam war newman character physical punishment psychological cruelty equal parts influence prison mates torture compared jesus christian symbolism film culminating photograph superimposed crossroads end film comparison filming took place san river delta set imitating southern prison farm built california filmmakers sent crew florida photographs measurements release received favorable reviews box office success film cemented newman status era box office actors film described era newman nominated won academy award best supporting actor nominated score nominated united_states library congress selected preservation considering culturally historically aesthetically significant rare rating review aggregator website rotten_tomatoes quotation prison warden film begins got failure communicate listed american_film_institute list memorable movie lines plot veteran arrested cutting heads parking meters drunken night sentenced years prison sent florida chain gang prison run stern warden captain morgan eyes covered pair mirrored sunglasses james tells rules new set prisoners violations resulting spending night box small squared room limited air little room luke refuses observe established order prisoners quickly runs prisoners leader pair boxing match prisoners guards watch interest luke severely larger opponent refuses eventually refuses continue fight luke earns prisoners respect later luke wins poker game hand worth luke comments real cool hand prompting nickname cool hand luke visit sick mother luke optimistic situation continually confronts captain guards sense humor independence prove inspiring prisoners luke struggle supremacy peaks leads work crew seemingly impossible successful effort complete road paving job day prisoners start makes wins spur moment bet eat hard boiled eggs hour day luke picks deadly grassy ditch holds shoot rifle luke snake boss joke hands walking cane advises luke careful actions pertaining man eyes causes prematurely end work joins prisoners truck luke shouts god testing evening luke receives letter stating mother died news mother death reaches luke captain anticipating luke attempt escape order attend mother funeral locked prison punishment box released box receiving word mother burial completed told forget luke determined escape cover fourth july celebration makes initial escape attempt later recaptured local police returned chain gang blood sent dies strain caused struggling barbed wire fences capture return captain luke fitted leg delivers warning speech inmates explaining got failure communicate men reach week way wants gets don like men short time later luke escapes string shake bush distract guards visiting nearby house uses axe remove guard dogs following scent spreads powder powder ground send fits sensitive sense smell free luke magazine includes photograph beautiful women soon recaptured beaten returned prison camp fitted sets leg luke warned captain attempts escape killed spot luke annoyed prisoners magazine photo reveals fake prisoners angry long stay box luke forced eat huge serving rice come help finish punishment escape forced repeatedly dig grave sized hole prison camp yard fill beaten prisoners observe persecution singing finally prisoners watch windows exhausted luke collapses hole begging god mercy pleads bosses hit finally broken captain stops punishment warns luke killed runs away luke promises tears prisoners begin lose image luke tears photograph luke women seemingly broken working chain gang luke stops working water prisoner watched disappointed prisoners runs trucks rifle shoots snapping turtle luke complimenting boss shot luke takes stab freedom ordered turtle truck steals dump truck keys trucks excitement moment jumps dump truck joins luke escape later abandoning truck luke tells ways drag agrees leaves luke enters church talks god blames win life moments later police cars arrive walks tells luke police bosses promised hurt luke peacefully luke feeling life longer worth living walks window facing police captain repeating speech got failure communicate immediately shot neck carries luke outside charges attempts beaten subdued guards tears luke live local police want luke nearby hospital captain tells prison hospital instead long distance luke chances survival slim captain car drives away glasses luke implied death prisoners final scene prison crew seen working near rural intersection close luke shot wearing leg new camera torn photograph luke women superimposed bird eye view cross shaped road junction cast production script merchant later safe wrote novel cool hand luke experiences working chain gang serving florida prison sold story received write screenplay working television decade chose directorial debut cinema took idea owned experience writing draft reworked hall hired cinematographer brother arthur hired unit production manager newman biographer states tough honest script drew threads earlier movies especially newman earlier film director altered original ending script adding upbeat ending reprise protagonist trademark smile casting character luke decorated war veteran sentenced serve years florida rural prison constantly authorities facility leader prisoners escaping multiple times script developed leading role initially considered newman asked play leading role hearing project order develop character traveled west_virginia recorded local accents surveyed people behavior turned academy award winning performance leader prisoners fights luke comes respect nomination process worried box office success clyde kennedy invested trade advertising promote kennedy later stated thanks award salary multiplied minute won adding didn play villains anymore known appearances cast captain prison warden depicted cruel leader severely luke escapes role luke dying mother visits prison passed rejected cast cruel prison officer described walking dubbed man eyes inmates mirrored sunglasses blonde cast scene prisoners washing car manager contacted producers auditioned newman wearing bikini speaking filming filming took place san river delta set imitating southern prison farm built california filmmakers sent crew florida photographs measurements served time structures built included barracks mess hall warden quarters guard dog trees set decorated spanish moss producers took area construction soon attracted attention county building inspector confused worker housing ordered condemned code violations opening scene newman cuts parking meters filmed california scene luke chased shot jacksonville florida road prison luke played stunt actor dogs wanted cast life chain gang banned presence wives set arrived location remained days hotel room wasn seen rest cast shooting commenced despite directors intentions scene ultimately filmed separately instructed unaware different movements expressions wanted originally planned shot half day scene took scene featuring chain gang substituted teenage cheerleader wore soundtrack academy award nominated original score composed created tunes background popular music jazz tracks include use guitars include violins piano edited version musical cue inmates paving road years theme music local television stations news programs world owned operated abc united_states music written film familiar association television news melody resembles sound telegraph themes christian imagery included draft explicit religious symbolism film contains elements based christian themes including concept luke saint wins crowds ultimately sacrificed newman character luke portrayed jesus like figure winning egg eating bet luke lies exhausted table position jesus depicted learning death mother luke sings plastic jesus compares luke jesus like jesus physically threatening society actions like jesus punishment proportion luke challenges god road telling later digging filling trenches confronted guards performs spiritual grave gon body end film luke speaks god conversation god jesus garden depicted gospel luke following luke talk film depicts delivers luke authorities trying convince surrender final scene luke explains despite luke death actions succeeded defeating system closing shot shows inmates working crossroads repaired photo luke women superimposed use traffic signs signals different traffic signs film actions characters scenes beginning luke cuts heads parking meters word violation appears stop signs seen instances include road paving scene scene road meets cross section traffic lights turn green red background time luke arrested end fatally wounded green light background turns red failure communicate got failure communicate men reach week way wants gets don like men writing line worried phrase complex warden explain origin created backstory included stage directions explained order advance florida prison system officers courses state university showing warden know words later clarified felt line kind character likely heard read headed intellectuals begun infiltrate character world general new approach authors believe quotation metaphor ongoing vietnam war conflict taking place filming applied corporations teenagers quotation listed number american_film_institute list memorable movie lines audio sample line included guns roses songs civil war madagascar release reception cool hand luke opened november new_york_city proceeds premiere went charities film box office success grossing domestic screenings kennedy won academy award best supporting actor newman nominated nominated nominated nominated best director hall nominated best cinematography variety described newman performance excellent noting supporting cast versatile competent new_york_times praised film remarking sharp script realistic plausible staging direction newman splendid performance cast prison films review aggregator rotten_tomatoes film holds overall certified fresh approval rating based reviews average site consensus hampered direction held aloft stellar script performances empire rated stars declaring movie newman best performances slant rated film stars described newman role iconic praising cinematography sound score praised newman performance anti authoritarian heroes movie history critic roger_ebert included film review collection great movies rating stars stated great film anti establishment time vietnam war believed film product time major film company interested producing film physical punishment psychological cruelty equal parts today praised cinematography capturing heat location stated physical presence reason movie works smile innocent blue eyes lack actor produced effectively contrary general consensus newman biographer thought newman weaker performances stating newman famed charisma fails cool hand luke completely lacks charm exhibits plays screw winds briefly incarcerated added newman performance stronger second half said fair newman trying play impossible luke convict fantasy real character authors criticized film depiction prison life time review entitled sheer beauty wrong place life praising film photography criticized influence visual styles depictions prison camp magazine declared landscapes turned rest camp men getting plenty sleep food healthy outdoor exercise despite presence guards showed worse ways pay debt society remarked prisons hotels certainly stuff cool hand luke movies legacy afi years heroes villains rated luke number greatest hero american cinema years later afi years cheers america inspiring movies rated number cool hand luke included luke ranked 53rd empire magazine greatest movie characters movie solidified newman status box office star film considered era united_states library congress deemed cool hand luke culturally historically aesthetically significant selected preservation episode entitled cool hands luke shown playing colonel boss neighboring county warden prison farm wears trademark shades episode book adapted west end play opened london starring closed months following poor reviews chosen times critic choice critics pay nashville based christian alternative rock band named film
Cool Hand Luke