As Paul Newman biographer Eric Lax astutely observes on his commentary track, 1967 was a high water mark in the cinema of alienation -- a year for outsiders, if you will.  Amongst classics like In the Heat of the Night, Bonnie and Clyde and The Graduate, the prison drama Cool Hand Luke was in esteemed company with its tale of a disenfranchised war veteran sentenced to two years on a chain gang after a night of drunken mischief.  Incarcerated in a work camp where solitary confinement within a small outbuilding is the punishment for every offense, Luke’s (Paul Newman) individualistic behavior quickly earns him the respect and adulation of his cellmates, a motley crew led by the goodhearted Dragline (Oscar-winner George Kennedy).

Blessed with an abundance of on-screen talent, Cool Hand Luke manages to give each of the prisoners and guards a moment in the spotlight while keeping Newman and Kennedy at the forefront of the disenfranchised while Strother Martin, as the malicious captain in charge of the camp, and Morgan Woodward, as the enigmatic Boss Godfrey, head up the authoritarian side of the cast.  Luke Askew, Robert Donner, Dennis Hopper, Harry Dean Stanton, Wayne Rogers, Ralph Waite and Anthony Zerbe are but a handful of recognizable names in the credits.  Uncredited, but nevertheless adding to the overwhelming strength of the ensemble are Joe Don Baker, Rance Howard and novelist Donn Pearce, upon whose experiences the book Cool Hand Luke was based.  As explained in the 30-minute featurette “A Natural-born World-shaker,” director Stuart Rosenberg discovered Pearce’s book amongst a selection of pre-release volumes on sale at a local bookstore and used the story to propel his television career to the big screen.  Pearce candidly recalls the real Luke as well as the elements of the character drawn from himself in the documentary while screenwriter Frank R. Pierson discusses the process of dramatizing the story for the screen.

Filled with iconic images -- the taciturn Boss Godfrey’s mirrored sunglasses concealing any evidence of humanity as he guards his condemned flock -- as well as memorable dialogue -- the Captain’s assertion that Luke’s repeated escape attempts represent a “failure to communicate,” Cool Hand Luke is the standard by which subsequent prison films are judged.  Warners’ new DVD transfer boasts a crisp 2.35:1 Technicolor images which excellently serves Conrad Hall’s high-contrast photography.  The original monaural soundmix is clear, but unexceptional, though Lalo Schifrin’s beautiful score (including a portion that would become the theme tune for Eyewitness News) is captured with all its bluegrass textures intact.  As noted, a commentary from Newman’s biographer Eric Lax offers many insights into the making of the film and its context within the star’s career and a fine documentary offers interviews with key cast and crew members, all of whom recall their work with pleasure.  

 

On a scale where “A” indicates the pinnacle of the medium, “B” stands for an extraordinary example, “C” represents 90-percent of what’s out there, “D” indicates a sub-standard effort, and “F” means an abomination that should at least result in the sterilization of those responsible…

Cool Hand Luke scores an A while this deluxe edition DVD presentation merits a B-.