I'd never seen this movie, except just a bit here or there. Watched it last night and I give it a thumbs up (my wife gave it a thumbs down). Besides having a nice sense of suspense, some very nice camera work (seeing just the shadow of a cane twirling in the background, etc.), and some very fine characters, the real story was the symbolic significance of Luke to the rest of the prisoners. And Luke recognized the symbolism and didn't particularly want it. But he stood for that small unconquerable place inside that even the brutal conditions couldn't overcome. Of course it eventually meant that choosing death was his last ironic conquering of the system. Whether he regarded it as conquering or not is ambiguous, but the prisoners obviously regarded it that way, and I think their reactions to Luke are really the subject of the film more than Luke himself.

All in all, a very interesting and entertaining look at human character. I'd be interested in your thoughts on the movie and also any discussion of other movies with similar themes.