MovieChat Forums > Cool Hand Luke (1967) Discussion > Anyone who used to like this movie but h...

Anyone who used to like this movie but has now changed their mind?

posted 17 years ago by fentress
99 replies | jump to latest

I have seen Cool Hand Luke at least half a dozen times in my life. I used to think it was a truly great movie. But the last time I saw it, I watched it with a bunch of friends who had never seen it. These were smart people who usually have pretty good taste. But as we watched the movie, they really just didn’t get it. They kept asking, “What’s the point? So this guy gets put in jail for vandalism and just gets keeps getting beat down. What’s so great about that?” They gave up after about the first 40 minutes.

I have to confess though, I had a hard time explaining to them why this movie is supposed to be good. I just couldn’t seem to find the words. I started to question if it really is such a good movie. I haven’t tried it again since then, so I’m not sure what I think of it now.

So, has anyone else had a similar experience with this movie? If so, what did you ultimately decide?

[–] chachi_arcola 15 years ago

i am guessing that you are probably in high school, judging by this post. if not, i in no way meant to insult you, but again, i will assume that you are.

firstly, you were correct in your first assessment. it is a truly great movie.

secondly, if your friends were indeed smart individuals, then they would not have a problem "getting" the film.

finally, as you get older, hopefully you will not let the masses dictate your likes or dislikes. don't worry about what everybody else thinks. fck 'em!

think how many people buy brittany spears records, or watch dancing with the stars, or other least common denominator intended bubblegum entertainment.

most of the popular crowd when you are a kid are really just stupid douchebags. not all, but it is more often the case than not.

perry farrel said it best: "idiots rule!"

btw, if you aren't a kid, its probably a good time to grow a spine.

[–] fentress 15 years ago

i am guessing that you are probably in high school, judging by this post. if not, i in no way meant to insult you, but again, i will assume that you are.

Gee, that's kind of humbling. No, I am not in high school. I'm much older than that. The friends I was speaking of were even older, mostly in their 60's and 70's. They really are intelligent people who generally appreciate some good films. Pretty progressive minded people too, really. But they still have that sort of square elderly mindset. Films that require a little more imaginative interpretation as to the theme aren't always their strong suit.

secondly, if your friends were indeed smart individuals, then they would not have a problem "getting" the film.

Well, I think there's room for a broad spectrum of opinion among intelligent people. There are plenty of films I regard very highly, but I would not say that any person who doesn't get them can't be smart.

(BTW I don't mean "don't get it" in terms of not following the plot. I mean they don't get the message or meaning of the movie.)

finally, as you get older, hopefully you will not let the masses dictate your likes or dislikes. don't worry about what everybody else thinks. fck 'em! ... think how many people buy brittany spears records, or watch dancing with the stars, or other least common denominator intended bubblegum entertainment.

most of the popular crowd when you are a kid are really just stupid douchebags. not all, but it is more often the case than not.

I agree with all that.

btw, if you aren't a kid, its probably a good time to grow a spine

That remark strikes me as inappropriate.

Maybe my OP lent itself to misinterpretation. This incident was not a matter of feeling humiliated or offended by my friends' reaction. Really, I was fine with the difference of opinion. I was simply interested in alternative views, and specifically wondered if anyone might have liked the movie but later outgrew it.

Judging from the reaction in the posts that have followed the OP, overwhelmingly most people still stand by Cool Hand Luke as a great film.

[–] balboa76 15 years ago

This is a great question, some movies don't hold up over time, but this isn't the case with a great classic film like Cool Hand Luke. This film gets better with time. I guess it's because the quality of the films that are being made today are getting worse with time. That's why a appreciate a great film like Cool Hand Luke more and more, especially as time passes by. They just don't make them like this anymore. It could be because of the quality of directors, actors and screenwriters of today. I guess that's a topic better suited for another film board.

[–] chachi_arcola 15 years ago

a thousand apologies. i aparantly misinterpreted "getting" the film, among other things.
upon reading your last post, it has become clear that the movie did not appeal to these people, which is entirely different.
it also seemed to me that you were doubting your own taste and preference in movies as a result of the opinions of others, which most would agree is pretty spineless.
again, i in no way intended any malice, but the tone of your original post struck me as the thoughts of a young adult.

one thing for sure, we both agree that cool hand luke is a great film.

and another thing: anyone misinterpreting another poster's posts... spends a night in the box!

[–] fentress 15 years ago

Perfectly all right. Think no more of it!

[–] SKITTZo 12 years ago

I really appreciated reading the above comments between the two of you. I also was wondering how someone could let other viewers change their opinion on a movie like that. CHL is a good classic!

~Jesus wept.~

[–] fentress 12 years ago

I also was wondering how someone could let other viewers change their opinion on a movie like that.

Well, I think it's perfectly legitimate that sometimes when you see something through somebody else's eyes, you might be able to understand a view of it that had not occurred to you before. It can be a broadening experience. It has also occasionally been my experience with a movie that I initially thought was mediocre that I came to appreciate its good qualities by seeing it with other people.

Believe it or not, I still have not seen CHL again since I made this initial post! (I am the OP author.) My guess is that I would still see it as a good movie for the reasons that most fans like it, but at the same time could also empathize with negative views of it as well.

[–] redmosquito322 15 years ago

In my opinion this movie is in a class all by itself. I think of my top 10,25, 50 films and then Cool Hand Luke... For me the movie is about consequence and possibility. I don't have much time to detail this( I might edit later), but what if the prison system had been half as concerned with Luke's rehabilitation as they had been about breaking his spirit. Why not seek to help him use that spirit for something more productive?

[–] singyue_wu 15 years ago

In my mind the answer to this propblem is not the movie, it is the atmosphere in which you see the movie. Some movies just aren't very ideal for a group of youngers to watch together. Because people tend to have a very short attention span while in a small group without any pressure for being quite and sit still. I have watched countless movies with my pals, and only in brainless action movies with lots of nudity and special effects can most of them sit still. A movie like Cool Hand Luke is better suited for personal entertainment in my mind, so that you can concentrate soley on the movie and enjoy it. In a group there are always some people with funny remarks that can ruin a movie, it is like people talking in theatres but only more distracting because those are your friends....

[–] fentress 15 years ago

Actually in the incident I refer to in the OP, it was a group of older people. But nevertheless, I think you make a valid point. There are some movies I like very much but I don't feel that they work in a group setting, so I don't even bother. Looks like I found out the hard way that Cool Hand Luke is one of them!

Sometimes though, I have found it works the other way. There have been some movies that I had seen years ago that I felt were dated or flawed in some way. Then when a group of people wanted to see it I'd tell them, "I don't know if you're gonna like this." But then when the group responded favorably, I actually enjoyed the movie myself much more than I thought I would.

[–] tnargskrap 15 years ago

There's a definite group dynamic that influences one's enjoyment of a movie, IMO. As an example, I first saw Ghostbusters on an afternoon, in an almost empty theater. I remember thinking it wasn't that funny. Then I saw it again the following Friday night in a packed theater with everyone laughing and thought it was hilarious. I have a similar experience watching stand-up on Comedy Central. While I may still find someone very funny, I rarely laugh out loud when alone. But if I'm watching with others, I laugh out loud a lot more.

All that being said, Cool Hand Luke is one of the greatest movies ever. It showcases some incredible acting performances.

[–] ChefC 15 years ago

Don't let people influence you so much, you obviously like this movie, but because you showed it to some friends who obviously have bad taste in movies, and they did not like it, you decided maybe you should not like it?

Who cares what they think, this movie is one of the best.

----------
Do not pity the warrior, pity instead those who believe nothing is worth fighting for.

[–] suzypulledapistol 15 years ago

They kept asking, “What’s the point? So this guy gets put in jail for vandalism and just gets keeps getting beat down. What’s so great about that?”

This reminds me of a Louis Armstrong quote:

"Man, if you have to ask, you'll never know".

[ Dave, my mind is going. I can feel it. ]

[–] soulcombinetics 15 years ago

I have dug this movie for over thirty years. I watch this movie at least twice a year, the reason being is that it has always had a profound affect on me.

Many folks have commented that Luke was just an aimless rebel...who went against the establishment of the work camp and its authority figures..."Just because." After Luke's mothers death, they put him in the box, where he responds to a guard with my favorite line of the movie..."Just because it's your job boss....dont make it right." From this point is where Luke began to show resistance and rebellion. After his mothers death, I believe that he realized that there wasn't any structure to his life, something that he and his mother talked about when she visited him, that he couldn't fit in and find his place. Luke had no real place. He always wanted to be free to exist without being defined by the world. Even when they talk of his time in the army, he became sargeant, and then left as a private...To me this shows how he probably, joined the army for no particular reason, and earned a high rank..and then, not wanting to be confined or labeled, he lost his rank for unknown reasons. These titles...sergeant, convict, marriage (which his mother teased him about) meant nothing to Luke.

Yes, Luke had only two years on the chain gang, but what would his life be upon release? Luke wanted to live his way, and also die as well. Was he really a Rebel? I dont know...but he said his mind to really disrupting the so-called order of the correctional system of the chain gang. His sole existence became a symbol of a spirit and man that would not be broken, or captured, or defined by anyone but himself. in this is where the Jesus Christ references exist. He gave something to the men in the camp with his spirit, memories, hope, laughter and a cool and calm honesty, that was powerful with few words.

At the end when Luke is shot, and George Kennedy rushes the man with no eyes and strangles him...and then soon his glasses are crushed. It shows the true nature of the authority figure who hides behind the mirrored shades and the rifle.....a nature that is weak and cowardly. There are many symbolic aspects throughout the film aside from this. Cool hand Luke is one of my favorite films....the acting alone, great writing and very good directing show how movies were made at a time when special effects, excessive violence, and computer graphics didnt exist to de-sensitize the audience....This was what a movie experience was about...captivating the audience with characters, direction and story.

Peace

[–] brimac38-1 15 years ago

One of the greatest movies ever made . I am in my 40's , watched this for the first time in my late teens and have loved it ever since . I just popped the DVD in one day when my teen nephew stopped by for a visit , he hated it . He told me it was boring . I feel sorry for the youth of the day who can not appreciate a movie for it's wonderful script , settings , direction and great actors who did not rely on special effects and graphic nudity to make their movies great . A movie like this just goes to show you that you don't need transforming robots , huge explosions , teens having sex , computer animation and and so-called heroes firing thousands of rounds taking out countless bad guys to make a movie great .

As to why this movie is great , Soulcombinetics, did a wonderful job describing it and any I could not do it justice .

[–] soulcombinetics 11 years ago

Why thank you!

[–] EvergreenThunder 15 years ago

really if you once loved this movie only to revisit it and found you have changed your mind it can only mean that you lost your heart somewhere in between

[–] 15 years ago

[deleted]