Why did Cool Hand Luke become associated with anti-establishment ideas in the 1960s?

The 1967 film Cool Hand Luke resonated with the anti-establishment sentiments of the 1960s primarily through the character of Luke Jackson, portrayed by Paul Newman.

Luke became an iconic antihero because he was a nonconformist who steadfastly refused to submit to the authority of his sadistic jailers. His repeated defiance of the prison warden and his series of daring escapes served as a powerful symbol of resistance against rigid, oppressive systems. By challenging the status quo and maintaining his individuality despite severe punishment, Luke provided inspiration and vicarious thrills to his fellow inmates—and by extension, to audiences navigating the social and political upheavals of the era. The film’s famous line regarding a failure to communicate highlights the fundamental clash between the individual's desire for freedom and the institutional demand for total compliance.1