Paul Newman, George Kennedy and Strother Martin in the Stuart Rosenberg movie ‘Cool Hand Luke’

Set in central Florida of the 1950s, the Stuart Rosenberg directed movie Cool Hand Luke (1967) is a film adapted from the 1965 Donn Pearce novel named Cool Hand Luke. The central protagonist for this anti-establishment prison piece is Lucas ‘Luke’ Jackson, portrayed by Paul Newman.

(From left, Luke Askew as Boss Paul, Ralph Waite as Alibi, Warren Finnerty as Tattoo, Harry Dean Stanton as Tramp and Paul Newman as Lucas ‘Luke’ Jackson in the Stuart Rosenberg movie Cool Hand Luke).

We’re introduced to the character of Luke Jackson as he gets hauled off to a rural jail for a two-year sentence for cutting parking meters off their poles for what amounts to entertainment while drunk. We meet Alibi, Tattoo and Tramp brought into a chain gang prison camp by Boss Paul. Boss Paul, Alibi, Tattoo and Tramp are portrayed by Luke Askew, Ralph Waite, Warren Finnerty and Harry Dean Stanton, respectively.

(From left, Strother Martin as The Captain and Robert Donner as Boss Shorty in the Stuart Rosenberg movie Cool Hand Luke).

The audience meets stern warden, Captain, almost immediately in the prison camp. We meet Walking Boss Godfrey, ‘the man with no eyes’ and floorwalker Carr just as quickly, with Boss Higgins and Boss Shorty coming into the picture as the story moves into establishing the pecking order among the prison leaderships and guards, including Captain, Walking Boss Godfrey, Carr, Boss Higgins and Boss Shorty as portrayed by Strother Martin, Morgan Woodward, Clifton James, Charles Tyner and Robert Donner, respectively.

(From left, Anthony Zerbe as Dog Boy, Charles Tyner as Boss Higgins, Luke Askew as Boss Paul and Morgan Woodward as Walking Boss (aka Godfrey) in the Stuart Rosenberg movie Cool Hand Luke).

The notion of pecking order extends from the guards and into the inmates of the prison pretty quickly. George Kennedy won the Academy Award for role as Dragline in Cool Hand Luke. Luke runs afoul of Dragline immediately, as the top of the inmate pyramid for the chain gang prisoners is Kennedy’s character. It is when Luke is severely outmatched by Dragline in an impromptu boxing match of interest to the guards and inmates alike, followed by a bluffing himself to victory while gambling with a “real cool hand” that cements respect among the prisoners and attention from the guards.

(From left, Paul Newman as Lucas ‘Luke’ Jackson and George Kennedy as Dragline in the Stuart Rosenberg movie Cool Hand Luke).

An incident later with a rattle snake between Luke and Godfrey, aka Walking Boss, strikes a further note of anti-establishment for Luke Jackson the character. Adding the full-throated treatment of Luke’s relationship with his sick mother, Arletta, gave depth and resonance to the internal compassion and conflict that became so striking for the central character and themes explored through the movie. Jo Van Fleet portrayed Arletta.

(From left, Ralph Waite as Alibi and Dennis Hopper as Babalugats in the Stuart Rosenberg movie Cool Hand Luke).

Cool Hand Luke justifiably received much respect for a superior narrative, an indomitable will for a leading character, an ensemble cast of recognizable talent 55-years later, and a commendable anti-hero counterculture approach that fit the life and times of the period when the movie filmed in and portrayed. I grant Cool Hand Luke as directed by Stuart Rosenberg 4.5-stars on a scale of 1-to-5.

Matt – Saturday, March 12, 2022

Tom Hanks, Melanie Griffith and Bruce Willis in the Brian De Palma movie ‘The Bonfire of the Vanities’

A gritty story flush with racial and class sensibilities amidst conflicting power struggles seemed like a natural fit for a Brian De Palma directed film. The hard hitting black comedy satire that was the 1987 Tom Wolfe book The Bonfire of the Vanities became the poorly adapted, poorly cast movie The Bonfire of the Vanities (1990), losing over $31 million.

(From left, Melanie Griffith as Maria Ruskin with Tom Hanks as Sherman McCoy, and Kim Cattrall as Judy McCoy with Tom Hanks as Sherman McCoy, in the Brian De Palma movie The Bonfire of the Vanities).

Tom Hanks starred as Sherman McCoy, a Wall Street bond trader who makes millions while enjoying the good life. Things move from top of the world with an ongoing affair with Southern belle gold digger Maria Ruskin, as portrayed by Melanie Griffith, get into trouble in the South Bronx wherein a hit-and-run accident leaves an African American youth severely injured. McCoy’s life begins to unravel with multiple angles in play about how to respond.

(From left, Rita Wilson as a Public Relations ambassador and Bruce Willis as Peter Fallow in the Brian De Palma movie The Bonfire of the Vanities).

The movie version of The Bonfire of the Vanities stars Bruce Willis as the newspaper reporter Peter Fallow feels like an observer parody of Nick Carraway from F. Scott Fitzgerald‘s The Great Gatsby. Fallow breaks much of the public’s interest in the appearance of impropriety against Sherman McCoy, who is due to lose his wife and daughter, his profession, and ultimately his freedom. Kim Cattrall portrayed Sherman’s wife, Judy McCoy, with Kirsten Dunst portraying their daughter, Campbell McCoy.

(John Hancock as Reverend Bacon in the Brian De Palma movie The Bonfire of the Vanities).

Episcopal minister Reverend Bacon, as portrayed by John Hancock, is portrayed as one of many corrupted community leaders in the film and book. The court of public opinion with an underlying profit angle is placed aside the political ambition of a district attorney, pursuit of sexual favors from the assistant district attorney, and all antagonists in the storyline having an illegitimate motivation that values perceptions of truth over actual truth; this sense of satire as motivation includes Judge Leonard White, as portrayed by Morgan Freeman, prosecuting attorney Jed Kramer, as portrayed by Saul Rubinek, defense attorney Tom Killian, as portrayed by Kevin Dunn, District Attorney Abe Weiss, as portrayed by F. Murray Abraham, and others still.

(Saul Rubinek as prosecuting attorney Jed Kramer, Tom Hanks as Sherman McCoy, Kevin Dunn as defense attorney Tom Killian and Morgan Freeman as Judge Leonard White in the Brian De Palma movie The Bonfire of the Vanities).

Those having read the underlying Thomas Wolfe book will be decidedly disappointed by the movie, with casting and the Michael Cristofer screenplay contributing to this feel. The dissecting of motivation that so powerfully comes through with the book, and so strongly gets stated in first person testimonies in many circumstances, simply never shows up in the movie. Quite simply, that is a real shame for those aiming to understand the commentary that Wolfe‘s work really makes.

(From left, actor Bruce Willis, director Brian De Palma, and actor Tom Hanks in the Brian De Palma movie The Bonfire of the Vanities).

The Bonfire of the Vanities, in premise and subject matter, remains relevant. The hard hitting notions of the underlying conflicts, the efforts to get just outcomes without the taint of corruption, and the depth of the look within the movie resembles the book while taking too many departures, simplifications, and lost along the way qualities. Watching this movie simply does not do the story justice, which leads to my giving The Bonfire of the Vanities as directed by Brian De Palma 3.0-stars on a scale of 1-to-5.

Matt – Saturday, August 14, 2021