MovieChat Forums > Cool Hand Luke (1967) Discussion > Let's talk Coolest Film Characters Ever....

Let's talk Coolest Film Characters Ever...with a caveat

posted 13 years ago by kanuffelrik
85 replies | jump to latest

The caveat is they must be at least 20 years old. Why 20 years? I don't know, I'm just thinking of cool characters that have stood the test of time, instead of "The Joker", "Iron Man" etc. If you must choose more recent characters, so be it, but I'm going for classic film characters.

Here is my starting list off the top of my head, feel free to add your own:

Cool Hand Luke - Obviously, since were on the Cool Hand Luke board. "Sometimes nothin' is a pretty Cool Hand." He is really cool, and I love how the other guys (especially George Kennedy) go from wanting to pummel him to wanting to be him.

Blondie (The Good The Bad and the Ugly) - I think Eli Wallach owns this movie, but Eastwood is really cool.

Harry Lime (The Third Man) - The way he makes his entrance and the cuckoo clock speech etc. make you understand why everyone likes him, despite his shady behavior. He's cool!

Quint (Jaws) - I just always thought he was cool, the bandana, the boat, the verbal abusing of Brody and the verbal sparring with Hooper...even when he gets eaten he's cool :-)

Chuck Tatum (Ace in the Hole) - A lesser known character, but I think Kirk Douglas is great in this movie. Kind of a sleazy guy, but cool, especially at the beginning when he's trying to get a job at the town paper. Check out the Memorable Quotes http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0043338/quotes or the first 5 minutes of the movie http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSB54h-rvfU and see what you think. You can't go wrong with Billy Wilder...

...which leads me to Walter Neff (Double Indemnity) - Fred MacMurray (yes, Fred MacMurray) is really cool in this classic noir. "Good-bye baby."

JJ Sefton (Stalag 17) - Hmmm another Billy Wilder movie. William Holden is really cool as the guy who they think is a rat cause of all the perks he's got.

I'm sure there's much more, but that's what comes to mind off the top of my head. And as for recent characters, I really like the villian in Oldboy. A messed up twisted guy, but always cool, even in a floppy hat :-)

[–] KTope 11 years ago

"None of you seem to understand...I'm not locked in here with you, YOU'RE locked in here with ME!"

Sorry, I must add to this list while breaking your rule completely in twain. Rorschach in Watchmen was a certified, 100% uncompromising badass, even when he knew for certain he was seconds from becoming an inkblot on an arctic tundra. This character will survive the test of time, rest assured.

I am Jack's IMDb post.

[–] 11 years ago

[deleted]

[–] oh_no_mrbill 11 years ago

De Niro in Godfather part II. Samuel L. Jackson in Pulp Fiction. Paul Newman in the Sting. Arnold in the Terminator. Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca. Uma Thurman in Kill Bill. Bruce Lee. Wesley in the Princess Bride. Darth Vader.

[–] ivan-521-829025 11 years ago

Gregory Peck - Atticus T kill a mocking bird
Anthony Quinn - Zorba the Greek
Toshiro Mifone - Dersu Uzala
Yul Bryner - Chris Magnificent Seven (not a great movie)
Yul Bryner - Taras Bulba. (the only thing that kept thcelluloseid together)
Anthony Hopkins - Hannibal Lecter M.D. Silence of the lambs

[–] samotraki 11 years ago

Dersu Uzala was playd by Maxim Munzuk, first and maybe only role in cinema. Munzuk is a real tatar not a japanese. Mifune did not play in this film although he brought coolness to almost every character he played.

[–] justwrite3 11 years ago

Maybe I missed it, but I don't think anyone mentioned Hawkeye Pierce (Donald Sutherland) from MASH.

A lot depends on your definition of "cool." James Bond, Hawkeye, and Cool Hand Luke are about as divergent as you can get, yet all can be considered cool. And I do.

[–] nelstar (359) 5 years ago

[deleted]

[–] MetalWorks 11 years ago

Charles Bronson in Once upon a time in the west
Clint Eastwood in A Fistful of dollars
Toshiro Mifune in Yojimbo
William Holden in Everything! (The wild bunch, River Kwai, Sunset Boulevard, etc)
Tom Hardy in Bronson
Robert DeNiro in Heat
Steve McQueen in Bullit
Samuel Jackson in Pulp Fiction
Harvey Keitel in everything!
Ryan Gosling in Drive ("How about this.."

[–] bobbo_says 10 years ago

Cool Hand Luke......how "cool" can it be to be so stupid?

Jailed for common vandalism with no possible goal/statement to be made is not cool, its stupid.

Escaping from prison on a two year sentence is not cool, its stupid.

Escaping from prison because your mother is dead and buried is not cool, its stupid.

Fighting someone who has beaten you already is not cool, its stupid. In the real world, he would have gotten his head kicked in although for a Florida chain gang I thought the gloves were a bit of fantasy.

Paul Newman is cool. Cool Hand Luke...not so much.

[–] easyrhino 10 years ago

Lee Marvin---Dirty Dozen