In Cool Hand Luke, what does the captain say is the film's recurring problem?

In Cool Hand Luke, the captain says the recurring problem is “a failure to communicate.”

The prison captain uses the phrase while explaining why Luke's resistance and the guards' responses keep producing conflict. His statement sounds authoritative, yet the film also presents the prison system itself as unwilling to understand Luke or respect his individuality.

Strother Martin plays the captain, while Paul Newman plays Luke Jackson. The delivery became especially memorable because the sentence is repeated as part of the captain's explanation of order, punishment and obedience.

Cool Hand Luke was directed by Stuart Rosenberg and released in 1967. The film was adapted from Donn Pearce's 1965 novel. Newman received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor, and the movie is remembered for its themes of defiance, institutional control and resilience.