Cool Hand Luke

In the post-Korean War era, vet Lucas Jackson, for his drunken crime of chopping the heads off of parking meters, is sentenced to two years at a prison work camp in Florida. Beyond the continual punishment of physical labor, Luke learns that the camp guards, who are to be called Boss and who work under the direction of the warden, called Captain, will further issue punishments of stints in isolation, called the box as that is what it literally is, for any infraction against rules. His indomitable spirit of independence, which often manifests itself as defiance, places him at odds not only with the prison administration but also the other inmates. But that animosity with the other inmates turns into admiration on their part for what many of them aspire to but are unwilling or unable to do themselves, even by those who would bet against him. That newfound admiration for him, whether he wants it or not, does not change his relationship with the Bosses and Captain, his defiance only increasing the battle of wills between the two sides.