Is it the classic story of a rebel without a cause, or is it the perfect cause for a rebel? As “Cool Hand” Luke Jackson says in a game of poker, “Sometimes nothing can be a real cool hand,”—and perhaps it’s true. After all, when you’ve got nothing, you’ve got nothing to lose.
In Cool Hand Luke, young, piercing blue-eyed Paul Newman takes on the role of Luke Jackson, a man playing his life like a game of poker, fearing no risk. Arrested for destroying parking meters while intoxicated, Jackson is sent to a prison in the South to be on a chain gang, where he confounds both prisoners and wardens with his apathetic yet confident air.
The other prisoners put his indomitable spirit to the test, but Jackson proves his mettle and soon finds a place in their hearts, taking on any dare thrown his way. By exuding his “cool,” apathetic attitude towards any circumstance (even those which he willfully places himself in), his status is elevated to that of a hero in the eyes of his fellow prisoners. In the eyes of the authorities, however, he’s just a cocky jailbird who exalts in pushing the envelope as far as he can.
Newman’s portrayal of Jackson’s seemingly quiet desperation in this story is intensely appealing, as the character raises the stakes higher than most would dare. Why does he constantly struggle against the system, and not serve his time in order to be free? It’s a ponderous question likely attributed to his audacious nature—if a risk can be taken, he will take it. Like poker, life is a game to him, and even if his life is the ultimate bluff, he’s going to play his hand.