The opening of Cool Hand Luke is astonishing. “Violation”, “violation”, “violation”, then the shot zoomed out a little, and we saw that it was a parking meter, and the villain was decapitating it. I thought he did it for money but no, he cut it one by one and left the heads on the ground. The police came near and I thought he’d run or come up with a brilliant excuse to get away, but no, he offered his charming Paul Newman smile and admitted his crime.
When he was sent to jail we learned that he was a war hero. He’d be treated differently then? He’d so some heroic things? No. He offended the old inmate Dragline and got himself a boxing challenge. He’d win magically although Dragline was twice his size? No, he lost miserably. Dragline even picked him up and he couldn’t resist. When his feet touched the ground again he could barely stand but he hit Dragline. Ignoring everyone’s advice to stay down, he stood up again and again making it clear to Dragline: “You’ll have to kill me to keep me down.” In the poker game that night he won money, a buddy who used to be his major foe, and a nickname, “Cool hand Luke”.
Luke had nothing but that was how he charmed Dragline and others. “Sometimes nothing can be a real cool hand”, says Luke. When his mother came to visit him we realized how Luke became Luke, and where his reckless smile came from. Luke’s mom smoked and laughed knowing that she was dying and this was her last chance with her son. She laughed some more and coughed, choked, then back to laughing and smoking. She was the last one Luke got, the only obstacle between Luke and nothing.
Luke ran away. I thought he’d make it. When Dragline received a magazine, I knew it right away, and I was as satisfied as other prisoners when I saw the picture with Newman in fancy suit surrounded by beautiful women in the magazine. But he got caught. How disappointing. I thought he was smart but all he did so far was some meaningless acts—eating 50 eggs and urging his colleagues work fast to get two hours free time doing nothing—how disappointing.
He ran again. This time he spread pepper behind him to confuse the dogs, good work. Got caught again. How disappointing. "Are you a cool hand or are you simply nothing, Luke?" I thought. This time he was targeted to set an example: after working all day he was asked to do extra work until he begged them not to hit him. He was allowed back to the dorm and he lost the followers’ support. He kept losing even when he had nothing. Cool hand Luke became the busboy for the jailors. They broke him. I had no expectation any more; I pretty much wanted him to die. Please just die. They broke me too.
He ran away. This time he did it by car and Dragline got a ride at the last minute. In the chapel he revealed his weakness, “it’s beginning to get to me. When does it end?” He was tired; so was I. When he was last seen in the vehicle smiling he looked relieved, contented, proud. I was relieved too. Thank God it ended.
Starting from zero, Luke went to a minus and we all know that the way leads to infinity. A stop at any point is a mercy of God. That’s how I felt after watching Cool Hand Luke. I can’t say that I like the movie but it stays with me, the way Luke cried: “Stop hitting me, boss, I’ll do whatever you say, just don’t hit me again please...”
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