3 Reasons why you need Cool Hand Luke on 4K Ultra HD!

The most exciting prospect of Warner Bros 100 years celebration was the re-release of some of their classic films from their back catalogue that fans have been waiting for, for many, many years. Warner Bros and Roadshow have done a terrific job in recent years with this, re-releasing many classics including 'Casablanca', 'Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory', 'Wizard of oz', 'Singin in The Rain', 'It's A Wonderful Life' and 'Giant' over the last few years. They are continuing this trend with the release of 3 classics in the month of April with ‘Rebel Without a Cause’, ‘Maltese Falcon’ 'Superman 2-4' and ‘Cool Hand Luke’. To celebrate the release of Cool Hand Luke on 4K Ultra High Definition (UHD) I will be breaking down the 3 main reasons you need to pick-this one up on 4K UHD. So, let’s get stuck into it!

Luke, the antihero – the terrific performance by the late great, Paul Newman –

One of the highlights of Cool Hand Luke is the powerhouse performance by the late, great Paul Newman. His turn as the title character of Luke is iconic. He is just so damn cool as this character (no pun intended). Up until this point, few actors had taken on this type of role. We had Chris McQueen in the classic ‘The Great Escape’, but rarely was an actor of Paul Newman’s calibre, seen getting dirty, playing a prisoner in the southern states. There is rarely a shot in the film, where Newman gets to play his typical, well-dressed, clean, and suave self that we’re used to. Oh no, he’s down in the dirt in this film, but still has that presence about him that we know and love. Few actors can pull this type of role off, but that’s what Newman does best and there really is no better example than ‘Cool Hand Luke’.

This town isn’t big enough for the both of us – The aesthetic of the film –

One of the strongest elements of any period piece is how the aesthetic of the time period is re-created. Cool Hand Luke does a fantastic job of re-creating the time and the aesthetic of early 1950s Florida. The prison location feels lived in and very real, which is why the film has remained a timeless classic for over 50 years. The costumes are all really well designed, giving an authentic feeling to the setting. They are gritty, dirty and look un-washed which is exactly what the audience expects from a prison movie. The sets are all well-realised, with the film actually utilising Road Prison 36, a real-life correctional institute as a stand-in for the fictitious Florida chain gang camp. These finer details are what make the film what it is. Without taking the extra steps to utilise real locations, authentic time-period accurate clothing and set-dressing, the film would not be nearly as effective as what it is and most certainly would not be considered a classic, let alone one of Warner Bros. most celebrated films.  

“I'm just standin' in the rain talking' to myself.” – the direction of the film –

I have talked about the aesthetic of the film and the lead turn from Paul Newman, but one element that pieces all of these things together, is the sure-handed direction from Hollywood Veteran Stuart Rosenberg. Rosenberg’s direction here is flawless, before Cool Hand Luke, he hadn’t directed a classic per say. He was well known in the industry prior to the film, producing tv shows such as ‘Decoy’, ‘The Big Story’, ‘The Comedy Spot’ and ‘The untouchables’ but it wasn’t until he stepped behind the director’s chair in 1967 to helm Cool Hand Luke, that he made a name for himself, going on to direct films such as the horror classic starring James Brolin, ‘The Amityville Horror’ in 1979 and ‘Brubaker’ starring Robert Redford and Morgan Freeman in 1980. His direction here is sharp, balancing comedic tones, with crime and drama. He does a great job at directing Paul Newman and George Kennedy, getting two memorable performances out of them as Luke and Dragline. The way he constructs a scene is also admirable. He knows exactly what he needs to do, to make every frame count. It’s a testament to his talents, my own wish is that Rosenberg got to direct more before his death in 2007.

Cool Hand Luke is a one of a kind. It is an all-time classic for a reason that is 100 per cent worthy of the 4K UHD treatment to celebrate Warner Bros. 100-year anniversary. It embodies everything there was to love about that period in Hollywood and the 1960s as a whole. It's captivating, funny at times and it never fails to be entertaining. Paul Newman’s performance is an all-timer and the film still to this day, holds up. A must-watch for film fans and if you have never seen it before, what better time to check it out then on its newly remastered 4K UHD re-master that looks and sounds fantastic. Head on over to Sanity to secure your copy today, you won’t want to miss it, link below.

Buy Cool Hand Luke on 4K UHD Here

Christopher Pattison wrote this blog post for Sanity. See more from Chris here