Is There Religious Symbolism in Cool Hand Luke?

Not long ago I got into an earnest but friendly disagreement with a friend in regards to the classic 1967 movie Cool Hand Luke starring Paul Newman. My friend, by no means a religious zealot but a churchgoer, kept referring to the "religious symbolism" in the movie. Now I have seen the film more then a few times and bits and pieces of it over a dozen times and I honestly never caught wind of any religious symbolism of any kind. My friend pointed out a few examples that whetted my appetite enough that I popped the movie in my DVD player that very weekend. My friend did the same thing and on Monday we compared notes.

I admit that I picked up on a few of the things he had pointed out to me but wasn't entirely convinced. He actually picked out a few new pieces of symbolism and before I knew it he had eight moments he believed implied that Luke (Newman) was seen more as a Jesus figure or other elements borrowed from the Bible. I decided to do a little research on the matter to see if I could come to more convincing conclusions.

If the religious symbolism was intentional then who put it there? In interviews with writers Donn Pearce (who wrote the novel and whom Luke is based on) no mention is made which is understandable as it is unlikely Pearce sees himself as Christ-like. Co-writer Frank Pierson has never owned up to it but he has written other films (Dog Day Afternoon; the Barbra Streisand remake of A Star Is Born) involving people in bad situations who come out looking like heroes (or angles). Perhaps it was director Stuart Rosenberg making his motion picture directorial debut? Rosenberg never talked about any such symbolism in interviews and though he made over a dozen films in his career there was religious symbolism in some of his other films such as Voyage of the Damned, The Amityville Horror and The Pope of Greenwich Village. Perhaps it was a little of each man.

I kept coming up empty but DID find an entry at Wikipedia.com which also listed eight religious references in the movie (though one was different from what I had) making a total of nine now. The author of this information is unknown but I had finally found someone else who saw what my friend had seen. I imagine there are many people out there who have seen this as well but the discussion never comes up.

As of this writing I am still not convinced that the "symbolism" is any more religious then just plain coincidence in most cases but it surely makes for some interesting conversation. In one case I clearly see the symbolism and will point that out but the rest is subjective and open for plenty of interpretation.

Listed below are the nine examples and I invite you to read them and judge for yourself. Was Cool Hand Luke really Jesus Christ reborn or was he just a hard luck guy who never caught a break in life? You decide and remember that whatever way you see it you are not wrong.

1) Just after Luke is nearly beaten to death by Dragline (George Kennedy) and playing his classic bluff of a poker hand which leads to his nickname, the other prisoners seem to look up to Luke for guidance and inspiration for he can do no wrong. When he does do wrong (being mentally broken) they turn their backs on him for he is just one of them but he regains their loyalty as he drives off in his third escape attempt.

2) The one instance where I can clearly see the symbolism comes at the conclusion of the egg eating scene. Luke is barely conscience and he is laid back on the table in the exact position of Christ on the crucifix with his arms extended and his head turned to the left.

3) Luke retrieves a dead snake that one of the guards has shot. After throwing the dead snake at the guard's feet, Luke hands him his walking stick thus possibly alluding to the stick into the snake story from the Bible.

4) After Luke's second capture he lays out on the table while the other inmates eagerly stand over him awaiting word on all of his adventures. Finally Luke loses control and begins screaming at them and ends with, "Stop feeding off me," which can be construed as a verbal metaphor for communion.

5) Shortly thereafter Luke is given a plate of filled overfilled with rice and told that everything on his plate must be eaten or he will be punished with a night in the box. As Luke almost exhaustingly tries to eat the rice his fellow inmates each come by and, one by one, takes a generous helping for themselves. This has been explained as a possible allusion to the last supper when Jesus shared his bread with the disciples.

6) Luke is broken and lies in hole begging the guards not to hit him anymore and promising he will no longer "backslide" or "back sass." As he cries and pleads he begs these wishes on God. Strother Martin, as the tough warden, can be construed as God of the prison as there is no one higher up then him. When Luke cries out his prayers the warden comes over and says, "Come on out son."

7) When Luke finds himself in the church near the very end he starts talking to God and keeps referring to him as "Old Man."

8) Dragline (Kennedy) can be seen as either Peter, a loyal follower, or Judas who brings the police to the church where Luke is hiding out. This is the most debatable as it is unlikely Dragline would have brought them had he known what was going to happen to Luke.

9) At the end of the film there is a shot of Dragline wearing his foot chains. The camera pans back to show the road and the inmates working. The final shot is a dissolve into the picture of Luke with the two women he had made for the men. The picture has been torn and taped back together and the tear marks form the shape of a cross.