| Overall Grade: |
A+ |
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| Story: |
A+ |
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| Acting: |
A+ |
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| Direction: |
A+ |
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| Visuals: |
A+ |
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One of the greatest movies ever!
by kurwa (movies profile)
Dec 2, 2007
4
of
4 people found this review helpful
This movie bursts with biblical parallels. I suggest a careful reading of Luke's Gospel. Then, watch the movie and relate the scenes to events and characters in the Gospel. A couple of helpful hints: the scenes in the movie and the parallel envents in the Gospel aren't in the same order. Characters in the movie may "play" more than one person in the Gospel.
This movie is one of the best examples of the anti-hero character in literature and film. Its basic form is that the protagonist of the work is someone not normally considered heroic such as a criminal or someone existing outside the conventions of a society.
Other movies that I think were influenced by this movie were One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975), Badlands (1973), Billy Jack (1972?), and even 1969's Take the Money and Run (as a spoof) and The Longest Yard (1974). Although the Star Wars series is of a different genre, I wonder how Luke got his name. Notice that he is the only one that has a Christian name in a galaxy far away and long ago.
These films, and many others reflect the times and the message that the lowest among us may inspire change and teach us the truth about the human condition.
The coming remake of the The Longest Yard will be very interesting given the current social climate. From the previews that I have seen, it looks like they are emphasizing the techincal work in capturing the violence, but I will try to keep an open mind.
I don't know if movies of the Cool Hand Luke genre can be made these days. I think the message would be lost in that not many people would be able to see past the societal view of the character. I recall the captain of the prison guards team in the Longest Yard at halftime: "Look who's beating you! Scum!"
Fianlly, movies such as Star Wars, Matrix, Rambo, Dirty Harry and others don't really fit into this group. They may be very good movies but they have a different message and purpose, either escapist or cynical. |
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