What We Have Here Is Failure To Communicate! A creative analysis of the social statement made by the film, "Cool Hand Luke"

Lucas Jackson is a returned war hero with an attitude. He's drifting through life with no purpose of direction. One morning finds him a little drunk and cutting the heads off parking meters. In the South, that's called, "damaging municipal property" and it's a chain gang offense. Hero, soldier, Lucas Jackson finds himself face to face with "the man." Paul Newman's starring role as Luke is a study in rebellion against the boundaries of society …

…in a church after his third escape, he throws it all back at the boss known as "the man with no eyes." He says, "What we have here, is failure to communicate . . ." A single rifle shot punctures the silence as rain begins to fall. Luke is hauled away to his death with a smile on his face, rebel to the end, having beaten the system with nothing. "Sometimes nothing can be a real cool hand."