I’m sure some of you have noticed the Christ symbolism in Cool Hand Luke.
The most blatant is the visual imagery in the famous “Nobody can eat fifty eggs” scene. At the conclusion of the scene, Luke’s disciples and detractors abandon him and the camera records him from above. Lying on the table, legs crossed at the ankles, arms splayed away from his body, head turned to the side, he looks very much like the image of Christ portrayed in some paintings. Add to that the fact that the egg is a symbol of life, and the scene really makes an impact.
Luke becomes a savior and a martyr. The other inmates are his disciples and, after his death, George Kennedy becomes his apostle, spreading the “word” in the oral tradition.
Now, did the makers of this movie do this on purpose or am I reading too much into it?
I count this movie in my top five. It’s funny and sad and devastating. And, of course, the source for one of the greatest movie quotes of all time: “What we've got here is a failure to communicate.”