1967 Classic, Named One of Paul Newman's 'Finest Performances,' Has a Perfect Rotten Tomatoes Score

Paul Newman owns one of the greatest filmographies of all time.

The legendary American actor’s expansive resume includes classic dramas like Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and The Hustler. Newman also starred in a number of memorable crime films, including Harper and The Sting.

Of course, Newman helped redefine the Western genre with unforgettable films such as Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean.

He even voiced Doc Hudson for Pixar’s animated movie Cars before passing away in 2008 at the age of 83.

However, not too many will argue that when it comes to his best film, the 1967 prison drama Cool Hand Luke has got to be up there.

Paul Newman’s Performance in Cool Hand Luke Was One of His Finest Ever

Newman has three films that received a 100% Tomatometer score on Rotten Tomatoes. Harper and Sometimes a Great Notion both got a perfect score on the acclaimed movie review site.

Cool Hand Luke completes Newman’s trio of 100%-rated films. It is also among his top 15 films. According to Jeff Giles of Rotten Tomatoes, the movie is elevated by Newman’s outstanding performance.

“Cool Hand Luke also provides one of Newman’s finest performances, offering an early example of the way he gradually stripped away all the non-essential bits of his characters, learning to say more with a look or a gesture than any line of dialogue,” Giles wrote. “Of course, Luke has some classic lines anyway, most notably the oft-repeated ‘What we have here…is failure to communicate.’

“Empire Magazine’s Kim Newman summed it up perfectly, calling it ‘one of those movies you remember great Moments from.’”

Newman plays the lead role of Luke Jackson in Cool Hand Luke. Jackson refuses to play by the rules after being sentenced to a Florida prison farm. The story follows his journey as a rebellious inmate who unyieldingly withstands all the relentless challenges thrown his way.

Newman was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor for Cool Hand Luke. George Kennedy won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Clarence “Dragline” Slidell, Luke’s adversary-turned-ally in prison.

Related: Paul Newman: The Man Who Defined Being a Man