The movie is based on Don Pierce’s 1965 novel of the same name, which tells the story of Luke, a veteran who was sentenced to two years in prison for a drunken offense. In prison, Luke refused to give in to the power and the system and endured great pain and suffering, and his perseverance and indomitable spirit of defiance impressed the other inmates. After the death of Luke’s mother, he carried out a number of escapes from prison, but each time he failed, and in the last one escape he was shot and killed by a prison guard.
There are a lot of Christian elements throughout the movie, Luke’s encounter is similar to the crucifixion of Jesus, neither of his actions poses a physical threat to the society, but in the end they are both punished too brutally, near the end of the movie Luke questions God, as if the conversation between God and Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane in the Gospel of Luke, this later Luke’s cellmate seems to be Judas, trying to persuade Luke to submit to the power, the last shot of the movie puts a crucifixion in a different place than the one in the Gospel of Luke, trying to persuade him to submit to the power. The final shot of the movie shows a cross crack floating over a picture of Luke with two beautiful women, as if it were the crucifixion of Jesus.
1967 / USA / Drama Crime / Stuart Rosenberg / Paul Newman George Kennedy
Lucas Jackson (Paul NewmanPaul Newman), a Vietnam veteran, is sentenced to two years in prison for tearing down the town’s parking meter one drunken night.
Right off the bat, he challenges Dragline (George Kennedy), the prison’s leading man.
Dragline is much larger than Lucas and beats Lucas senseless, but Lucas keeps refusing to give in, thus earning Dragline’s respect.
In the prison poker tournament, Lucas won many times, earning the name CoolHandLuke.
Lucas is encouraged by visits from his mother and nephew, and although he endures many harsh conditions and inhumane treatment in prison, he remains hopeful for the future.
However, the death of his mother sends him into deep pain.
He wants to escape from prison more than before, yet his repeated failures, and the ruthlessness of the prison warden, make his path more and more difficult. …… This movie won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
