Cool Hand Luke

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 11/6/08 w/ Additional Edits.

Based on the novel by Donn Pearce, Cool Hand Luke tells the story of a prisoner who defies authority in a harsh Florida prison. Directed by Stuart Rosenberg with a script written by Pearce and Frank Pierson, the film features Paul Newman in the title role as Luke Jackson. A man who just won't conform to whatever the system tells him to do as he proves to be an inspiration to the fellow prisoners around him. Also starring George Kennedy, Strother Martin, J.D. Cannon, Luke Askew, Dennis Hopper, Clifton James, Harry Dean Stanton, Joe Don Baker, and Morgan Woodward. Cool Hand Luke is a tremendous film from Stuart Rosenberg.

After doing some drinking and destroying some parking meters, Lucas Jackson is sent to a prison in Florida. Under the supervision of its captain (Strother Martin), Jackson along with three other new convicts including Tramp (Harry Dean Stanton) are given rules to live in the prison. Joining several other men including Dragline (George Kennedy), the men plow the fields, create ditches, and pave roadways. Yet, Lucas has managed to prove to be a guy not willing to give in to the system. After a fight with Dragline where he refused to stay down, he gains the respect of his fellow inmates as well as a few men running the prison. After meeting his mother (Jo Van Fleet) when she visits, he's given a banjo as he continues to be an inspiration.

Dragline befriends the young new convict whom he named Cool Hand Luke as Luke proves to be a real tough guy by eating 50 eggs in an hour. After causing some intimidation in the sunglasses-wearing Boss Godfrey (Morgan Woodward), Luke proves to be powerful until he receives news over the death of his mother. Yet, Luke decides to try and break out of prison with the help of a few prisoners. After two attempts where he nearly succeeded, notably the second one. He is sent back as the captain tries to break his spirit. With the prison bosses making him dig a big ditch and prisoners looking on. The captain wonders if he has broken Luke's spirit but Luke has other ideas with Dragline in tow.

The film can be described as inspirational due to the idea that Luke is described as a Christ-like figure. A man who brings so much inspiration and hope to his fellow prisoners while proving that he can't give in to authority. Attempts to break the spirit of someone like Luke is hard, even when his mother dies and the time he gets captured again and abused. Even at the lowest point, it seems like Luke is willing to give up but this a man that can't really be broken. Even to someone as tough and hardened like Dragline who becomes his confidant and at times, a father figure. Dragline teaches Luke about surviving the prison and its confines while gaining hope in that he too, can escape and yearn for freedom. The script by its novelist Donn Pearce and co-writer Frank Pierson is filled with moments of humor as well as drama and action as it keeps on getting interesting right to the end.

Stuart Rosenberg's direction is truly superb in its compositions and presentation of key scenes. From the way the film opened to its last sequence, it's done with great style that is reminiscent of what American films were doing at that time against the traditional style of the past. There's scenes where Rosenberg captures a great moment of action with his fluid camera and scenery while one sequence in which Luke is beaten, reveals the perspective of all of the prisoners in a rich composition. Yet, Rosenberg's approach to the drama is all in a theatrical style with intimate settings to reveal the kind of tension and comradery between the prisoners and a few of its guards. The film's thematic tone about authority and conformity reveal something power around the time of the mid & late 1960s. The result is a powerful film about individuality and the refusal to conform from the mind of Stuart Rosenberg.

Cinematographer Conrad Hall bring exquisite camera work to many of the film's exterior sequences, notably the skylines and shots of the roads filled with great blue skies and beautiful shots of the river. Hall's interior work, notably the prison house is filled with wonderful lighting setups to create a unique sense of intimacy and atmosphere for those scenes. Even the exterior nighttime scenes are done with wonderful shades and tone to bring for those scenes. Hall's work is truly brilliant in exemplifying in why he's one of American cinema's most renowned cinematographers. Editor Sam O'Steen does great work in creating a fluid style of editing that's traditional but with jump-cuts and rhythmic cutting to emphasize a new style of editing that was cutting edge at the time. Yet, the editing works to capture the moment of action and drama with such precision and in the creation of smooth transitions from scene to scene.

Art director Cary Odell and set decorator Fred Price do excellent work in the look of the rural prison and the house for its convicts as it's given a real, Southern look and style for its intimate setting. Costume designer Howard Shoup also does excellent work in the look of the convicts uniform along with the prison guard suits to show the contrast between authority and those forced to give in. Sound recordist Larry Jost does excellent work in the sound of rain, chains, rakes, and other things to create something intimate and real. Music composer Lalo Schifrin creates a unique film score that is a mix of traditional, orchestral pieces for some of the film's dramatic moments and a Southern, string-inspired piece with guitars and banjos for some of the film's comical and light-hearted moments. Even music from Harry Dean Stanton who sings in a few tracks is filled with Southern values that plays true to the tone of the film.

The cast is truly superb with early appearances from actors like Harry Dean Stanton, Dennis Hopper, Anthony Zerbe, and James Gammon as fellow convicts where they each have memorable moments. Other memorable character actors like Clifton James and Joe Don Baker are great as the two men who run the prison house with Lou Antonio in a memorable role as the convict Koko. Joy Harmon has a memorable appearance as the girl washing her car bringing a lot of excitement to the convicts while Jo Van Fleet is great as Luke's mother who knew that he was trouble but always brought some excitement into her life. Luke Askew is excellent as one of the prison bosses while Morgan Woodward has a more memorable appearance as Boss Godfrey, a man who doesn't talk and wears sunglasses but is a good shooter. Strother Martin is brilliant as the Captain, the prison's warden who has a great complexity in being someone who might be helpful or he can be a mean son-of-a-bitch. It's a brilliant performance with a great Southern drawl that proves he can be intimidating while carrying a unique charm.

George Kennedy, in his Oscar-winning performance as Dragline is brilliant as the prison's convict leader who provides wisdom in showing how to live in the prison while being impressed by Luke's spirit. Kennedy's performance filled with humor and a father-like persona is truly amazing as it's a very memorable performance as a man who finds a new lease on life while trying to keep everything cool that goes with the prisoners. Finally, there's Paul Newman in an iconic role as the title character of Cool Hand Luke. An anti-hero who isn't a real hero but one that won't back down from authority or anything is a guy that is inspirational and can bring a unique spirit. Newman also proves that for a guy that's very beautiful, he can also be tough as hell where he won't be backed down. Filled with a lot of charisma, vulnerability, and tenacity as he's just a guy trying to figure out his role in the world and why he's being pushed down. It's a phenomenal performance from the legendary actor.

Cool Hand Luke is a magnificent film from Stuart Rosenberg that features powerful performances from Paul Newman and George Kennedy. This film isn't just one of the finest films in American cinema ever made but also a film that dares to question the idea of authority. Especially in a character like Luke that can only be played with such power by Newman. In the end, Cool Hand Luke is an outstanding film from Stuart Rosenberg.

© thevoid99 2014

Thunderbolt and Lightfoot

Written and directed by Michael Cimino, Thunderbolt and Lightfoot is the story about a Korean war veteran who takes in a young drifter to help him pull off one final heist with some old friends. The film is a genre-bending film that blends the road movie, buddy comedy, and the heist film as it explores the friendship between two very different men. Starring Clint Eastwood, Jeff Bridges, Geoffrey Lewis, and George Kennedy. Thunderbolt and Lightfoot is an incredible debut film from Michael Cimino.

A minister known as Thunderbolt (Clint Eastwood) is evading an assassin who is after him where Thunderbolt runs into a drifter named Lightfoot (Jeff Bridges) who had just stolen a car as Thunderbolt goes into his car as Lightfoot accidentally hits the assassin with the car. The two decide to go on the road where Lightfoot learns who Thunderbolt really is as he was one of the members of a gang who had robbed an armory in Montana. Despite being chased by Thunderbolt’s old friend Red Leary (George Kennedy) and his accomplice Goody (Geoffrey Lewis), Thunderbolt and Lightfoot escape their way through different cars where they arrive in Warsaw, Montana to find the lost loot.

After realizing that the schoolhouse where Thunderbolt stashed the loot in is gone and replaced by a bigger schoolhouse, the duo’s troubles get worse when they’re finally captured by Leary and Goody. After a tussle and the revelation about the schoolhouse, the four men are unsure about what to do until Lightfoot suggests about doing the robbery all over again but with different ideas. Thunderbolt and Goody agree to the idea though Leary has his reservations about Lightfoot as the four decide to get real jobs to fund the heist. After getting an anti-tank gun and other things, the gang gets ready for the heist where Lightfoot plays a key role for the heist. Though everything seems to go well, something goes wrong where things become complicated as well as some big revelations for Thunderbolt and Lightfoot.

The film is essentially the story of two different men who meet by accident where they team up to retrieve stolen money one of them had stashed only for it to be gone as they team up with two other men to plan another heist. Yet, it’s a film that blends all sorts of genre where it’s a buddy comedy, a road film, and a heist film all rolled into one as it’s about the dynamic between these two very different men from different age groups and lifestyles as they team up for this heist. Michael Cimino’s screenplay doesn’t have a lot of plot as it is about the friendship between these two men and how they decide to plan a heist with Thunderbolt’s old friends to settle some old scores yet things become uneasy due to Red Leary’s reservations towards the young Lightfoot.

Cimino’s script also has a great complexity to the characters he creates in not just its titular protagonists as they’re just two different men trying to live their life any way they want. He also creates an interesting characterization in the Red Leary character who is upset over the fact that Thunderbolt seemingly screwed him over their last robbery where the money was as it was never retrieved. Once he decides to team-up with Thunderbolt for a new heist, Leary is still unsure about the idea as he feels threatened by the presence of the more easy-going Lightfoot who is much nicer to everyone else including Leary’s accomplice Goody who doesn’t get treated with much respect by Leary.

Cimino’s direction is definitely vast in terms of the visual style he presents as he shoots the film largely on location in Montana. A lot of which features many wide scenes in exterior locations where Cimino takes advantage of the landscape for a wide depth of field in those shots. Cimino creates a lot of unique compositions to these exterior shots in the way he places the actors in these locations. It’s not just the location setting where Cimino creates unique shots but also in the interiors where he manages to find an intimacy in these settings while using the camera to establish what is going on there. Notably where Cimino will find some idea of humor to these scenes such as Leary riding in a small ice cream truck with Goody who is working as an ice cream man.

Cimino also creates some dazzling sequences in the film’s heist sequence where it’s about a lot that is happening where each character plays a role in the heist. Some of which is comical as it involves some very strange ideas that end up being very funny. It is later followed by some very chilling scenes where it is about what people do in the aftermath of a heist which involves loyalties and such. Overall, Cimino creates a film that is entertaining as well as captivating in the exploration of friendship and loyalty.

Cinematographer Frank Stanley does brilliant work with the film‘s evocative cinematography from the beautiful look of the Montana locations with its mountains and farmland as well as some nighttime shots with stylish lights to set the mood. Editor Ferris Webster does wonderful work with the editing to create some dazzling cuts in the film‘s heist scene as well as some rhythmic cuts for some of its livelier moments. Art director Tambi Larsen and set decorator James L. Berkey do terrific work with the set pieces from the look of the church in the film’s opening scene to some of the interior scenes such as the trailer that the four men lived in to plan the heist.

Sound editor Keith Stafford does nice work with the sound to capture the chaos of some of the more raucous moments of the film while going for an intimacy in the film‘s quieter moments. The film’s music by Dee Barton is excellent for its score as it features a lot of playful country music as well as some brooding, orchestral-driven music for the heist scene as the music also features a song written and performed by Paul Williams.

The casting by Patricia Mock is fantastic for the ensemble that is created as it features some notable appearances from Bill McKinney as crazy driver with a raccoon and rabbits, Gregory Walcott as a car salesman duped by Lightfoot, Gary Busey as a carpenter Lightfoot works with, and Catherine Bach as a woman Lightfoot meets early in the film. Geoffrey Lewis is excellent as the often mistreated Goody who proves to be very helpful yet doesn’t get appreciated from the more selfish Leary. George Kennedy is great as the very devious Red Leary who dislikes Lightfoot while being very cruel to those around him making things complicated for the heist.

Finally, there’s the duo of Clint Eastwood and Jeff Bridges in amazing performances in their respective roles as Thunderbolt and Lightfoot. Both men each provide laidback approaches to their roles with Eastwood as the more grizzled veteran who shows Lightfoot the ropes while Bridges gets to bring a lot of humor to the character of Lightfoot. Notably as Bridges often says funny things that would irk Leary while doing things that just adds to the humor.

Thunderbolt and Lightfoot is a phenomenal film from Michael Cimino that features superb performances from Clint Eastwood and Jeff Bridges. The film is definitely one of the most entertaining and visually-astonishing films of the 1970s as well as one of Cimino’s highlight in his career as a filmmaker. It’s also a very unconventional film that plays to all sorts of genres while not being afraid to take itself so seriously. In the end, Thunderbolt and Lightfoot is a remarkable film from Michael Cimino.

Michael Cimino Films: The Deer Hunter - Heaven's Gate - Year of the Dragon - The Sicilian - Desperate Hours (1990 film) - The Sunchaser - To Each His Own Cinema-No Translation Needed - The Auteurs #35: Michael Cimino

© thevoid99 2013