Cool Hand Luke (1967)

USA Today
"...Paul Newman had one of his best roles....Much of the fun today comes from eyeing minor players. Newman's fellow rock-splitters include Dennis Hopper and Richard Davalos..." 03/13/1996 p.6D

Uncut
4 stars out of 5 -- "Simultaneously biting and blithe....Newman's effortless performance drives things..." 03/01/2006 p.132

Sight and Sound
"Paul Newman enjoys one of his finest hours as the endlessly defiant convict in Stuart Rosenberg's prison-set drama." 03/01/2006 p.87

Entertainment Weekly
"Surrounded by such great character actors as Dennis Hopper and Strother Martin...Newman has never looked more godlike." -- Grade: B 09/12/2008 p.122

Empire
4 stars out of 5 -- "As a supreme showcase for Paul Newman's charisma, COOL HAND LUKE is pure magic....It was impeccably cast, superbly acted, [and] beautifully shot by Conrad Hall." 10/01/2008 p.170-171

VideoHound's Golden Movie Retriever 8 of 10
One of the last great men-in-chains films. A man (Newman) sentenced to sweat out a term on a prison
 
ReelViews 9 of 10
"What we have here is... failure to communicate"...In the history of motion pictures, there are a few - but only a few - better-known quotes. Even people who have never heard of Cool Hand Luke know that line (and can ape it with an imperfect Stother Martin accent). For a movie that arrived on the scene in the late '60s, as a whole generation was rebelling against the establishment, this sentiment - that of a failure to communicate - exposed the social climate. Martin's Captain represents an oppressive, authoritarian regime, while Paul Newman's Luke is the nonconformist who never gives up...Most people would probably consider Cool Hand Luke a quintessential "guy film" (along with titles like The Dirty Dozen and The Great Escape). Although it's true that there isn't a single major female character in the film, and there is plenty of testosterone on display, such categorization marginalizes a movie that offers depth and substance. Best of all, there's nothing about Cool Hand Luke that seems dated, even 35 years after its initial release. It's as fresh and effective in 2004 as it was in 1967. The only difference is that Newman has since graduated from playing a strapping leading man to entertaining roles as a grandfather. But he's still as cool now as he ever was. - James Berardinelli
 
Chicago Sun-Times 10 of 10
In a few movies every year, the central character seemed to be rejecting the values of the audience and stomping on its sympathy...Now in his latest film, "Cool Hand Luke," Newman brings this character to the end of its logical development, playing a hero who becomes an anti-hero because he despises the slobs who worship him...The movie hero used to be an inspiration, but recently he has become a substitute. We no longer want to be heroes ourselves, but we want to know that heroes are on the job in case we ever need one. This has resulted in an interesting flip-flop of stereotypes...Used to be the anti-hero was a bad guy we secretly liked. Then, with Brando, we got a bad guy we didn't like. An now, in "Cool Hand Luke," we get a good guy who becomes a bad guy because he doesn't like us...Luke is the first Newman character to understand himself well enough to tell us to shove off. He's through risking his neck to make us happy. With this film, Newman completes a cycle of five films over six years, and together they have something to say about the current status of heroism. Whether this was anyone's original intention is doubtful. But "Cool Hand Luke" does draw together threads from the earlier movies, especially "Hombre," and it is a tough, honest film with backbone. - Roger Ebert