Cool Hand Luke and the Existentialism of Prison Films

Most films in their very nature offer a hint of existential thought, even without meaning to. The why's of the world are boiled down to a place, or a people, or a man's journey to find meaning in a seemingly meaningless world. Often films try to find the metaphor in life through their setting. Few come close to finding the crystal to show life through, but among them are high school films, island stories and of course, the prison film.
The prison setting amongst all others offers a place that breaks life down to it's simplest form, easy enough to digest life's meanings and problems. It's a place of complete reality, where man is set against himself and at total odds with the world that surrounds and traps him. I didn't put the prison film and existentialism together until recently seeing Cool Hand Luke. I'm not an expert on existentialism, nor on the history of prison films, but Cool Hand Luke was like an art house film trapped in an American studio picture set in the South, and it was like an existential journey hidden underneath it all.
The film follows a recent convict named Luke, who gets thrown into a work prison for petty theft. The film doesn't delve into his back story at first, but we gather from the one scene before he's in prison, that he's a rebellious individual with a sense of humor who has slightly lost his way. Every prison film at it's core is about conformity, and usually stars a main character struggling to maintain his individualism. The prison world is harsh, and punishment is handed out to those stepping out of line. How can a person find meaning in his life if the world is constantly forcing people into line? What is the purpose of living in that world? In the film, the prisoners are daily led out into the surrounding locale to work, either clearing fields or laying asphalt. Then nightly they are led back to camp, each calling out their respective numbers. While working they can do nothing without first asking for it. "Wiping the brow, boss?"
"Wipe the brow."
"Takin' it off, boss?"
"Take it off."
They're like kindergartners asking to go to the bathroom. In this world they are trapped in, where can they find any sense of purpose or meaning? The only place where they can make any difference; in the work. Luke and his buddy one day start racing to work faster and faster while laying asphalt. Soon, every other prisoner follows suit and they finish the entire length of road in a fraction of the time. Afterward, they sit and enjoy their accomplishment. (Much to the astonishment of the guards.)

They aren't content with that, and they find other ways to make their lives enjoyable. Luke embarks on a bet, saying that he can eat 50 eggs. When asked why he says, "Yeah, well it gives me something to do." And therein lies one major point of the film. Is existence just a time where we just do things to pass time? Or is there more meaning? The only glimpse we have into Luke's life outside comes from when his mother visits. She's dieing and it offers Luke some reflection. She goes into the hopes the family had resting on him. Outside of the prison Luke had some hope of a meaningful life. And that, coupled with his anxious and rebellious spirit, cause him the need to escape. Virtually every prison film involves escape. It's the metaphor that every film uses as an example of escaping a meaningless life. We only have scant evidence into Luke's mind, he remains aloof emotionally both to the audience as well as his prison mates. Nevertheless, we still have the window into his mind as he continues to attempt escape. He almost can't help himself, he has to escape. Every prison film escape is driven by the main character desiring above all else to escape.

Papillon is perhaps the most artistic prison film. The man known as Papillon plans escape from day one of being sent to French Guiana. Through his first two escapes he's at the mercy of others, who eventually cause his return. But his final escape comes entirely from his own doing.
The best part of the film is the relationship between Papillon and Dega (played by Dustin Hoffman) Papillon is a do or die, you can't trap me kind of guy. While Dega is a simple little man who is usually content with what he has. In the end, it's his own garden and some pigs that keep Dega on the island prison.
In this film, Papillon can never find meaning within the prison walls. He is never content or ever finds any satisfaction in relationships or work. His whole existence is getting free. Even during his second escape, when he is with the native tribe, he doesn't seem to be able to find any contentment. Even with a half naked girl as his...tribe liaison.

Even more than Papillon, I am a Fugitive From a Chain Gang exhibits themes of existentialism. This film exemplifies the despair and angst of the 30's. James Allen is a returning war veteran who wants to use the talents he learned during the war to be an engineer. From the get go his life is a struggle, from his family pleading for him to stay home and work the same job he had before, to the lack of real work he can find. He travels from town to town and becomes destitute. He's accidentally involved in a crime and sentenced to a chain gang.
Prison life is extremely harsh and demanding and men are routinely beaten. Allen eventually escapes and flees to Chicago where he moves up the ranks to become a prominent engineer. But this time, he's blackmailed into marriage by a girl who knows his secrets. She's a total hussy and spends all his money. When he wants out of the marriage to marry the girl he really loves, she goes to the police. This guy can't get a break. Or so it seems, it turns out Illinois loves the guy and won't extradite him to the unnamed corrupt Southern state. (Unnamed, but everyone knows it was Georgia, which had a sucktastic chain gang system.) Allen makes a deal to go back willingly, serve a 90 day sentence, then get pardoned. But these total jerks screw him over, denying him the pardon. He almost looses it, but manages to escape once more. But this time he's gotta stay on the loose, he becomes a fugitive from a chain gang.
The movie was pre-code, so they got away with a bunch of stuff. The film is remarkably dark throughout, and shows a tiny bit more violence than other contemporary films. The ending is slightly ambiguous; he's free, but it's not a happy ending, he'll always be on the run. A film made 2 years later would either have had him be completely pardoned and reunited with his love or sent back to finish his sentence.
The film is quick to show the unfairness of the world. He's a war hero, but when he returns it means nothing. He has talent with engineering, but yet can't find work. He's tried for a crime he didn't commit. And the whole time he is in prison, that whole world operates entirely by the whim of the guards and warden. Even the system that people should trust the most, the government, cannot be trusted and refuses to pardon him after saying they would. Despite the film depicting post WW I, it shows more about the feelings and emotions of the 30's, where the world which seemed so right and fair has turned upside down and hard working and honest people have found themselves in despair. Allen could very well represent the American man, that merely wants to work and use his talents, but has been crippled by the senseless and apparently meaningless world. All prison films to certain degree exhibit that lost feeling associated with being trapped. Some, like Papillon and Shawshank Redemption, show the hope that comes from breaking free. While others like Cool Hand Luke and I am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang, show that there is never an escape, even when you're are no longer trapped.