Black Snake Moan (2007) Paramount Vantage/Drama RT: 115 minutes Rated R (strong sexual content, nudity, pervasive language, some violence, drug and alcohol use, thematic elements) Director: Craig Brewer Screenplay: Craig Brewer Music: Scott Bomar Cinematography: Amy Vincent Release date: March 2, 2007 (US) Cast: Samuel L. Jackson, Christina Ricci, Justin Timberlake, S. Epatha Merkerson, John Cothran, David Banner, Michael Raymond-James, Adriane Lenox, Kim Richards, Neimus K. Williams, Leonard L. Thomas, Ruby Wilson, Claude Phillips, Amy Lavere, Clare Grant. Box Office: $9.3M (US)/$10.9M (World)
Rating: ****
I absolutely love Black Snake Moan, a Southern-fried exploitation movie about a deeply religious man attempting to help a nymphomaniac by chaining her to the radiator in his home. I know the premise makes it sound sleazy and distasteful, but it’s actually not. It’s a compelling fusion of softcore sex, blues music, Biblical references and mental issues brought on by childhood abuse. Besides, it stars Christina Ricci. She’s my celebrity crush. She looks hotter than ever here.
Set in the deep backwoods of Tennessee, Black Snake Moan opens with farmer and former blues guitarist Lazarus (Jackson, Pulp Fiction) trying to persuade his wife Rose (Lenox, The Blind Side) not to leave him for his brother with whom she’s been having an affair. He’s a man with deep religious convictions and a drinking problem.
Meanwhile, Ronnie (Timberlake, Alpha Dog) leaves for deployment with the National Guard. His sex addict girlfriend Rae (Ricci, The Ice Storm) can’t bear the thought of being without him. Rae is what some people would call a white trash slut. When Ronnie’s away, she likes to play…. with other men. One night, things go too far and she’s severely beaten by Ronnie’s best friend (James, True Blood). Lazarus finds Rae the next morning half-dressed, barefoot and unconscious. He takes her home to help her recover. After a few attempts to flee, he chains her to the radiator with the intention of healing her of her sinful ways. He’s convinced God wants him to help the girl.
Naturally, Rae is scared of Lazarus. She doesn’t understand what he wants from her. Lazarus’ pastor and close friend R.L. (Cothran, Rango) learns of the situation and pleads with him to release her before he gets into trouble. At the same time, he initiates a relationship with town pharmacist Angela (Merkerson, Law & Order).
It’s possible there’s some bias on my part in liking Black Snake Moan as much as I do. Maybe so, but I genuinely think it’s an excellent movie. It’s Ricci’s finest performance to date. That’s saying a lot since she also delivers knock-out performances in The Ice Storm, The Opposite of Sex and Monster. In Black Snake Moan, she goes all the way in depicting a trampy type who provocatively walks around town in tight cut-offs and a pack of smokes tucked into the waist. Writer-director Craig Brewer (Hustle & Flow) allows Ricci to explore the full range of her talent and sexuality here. He gives her depth. Rae isn’t some random sex object. She’s a seriously damaged young woman. She was molested by one of her mother’s (Richards, Tuff Turf) boyfriends as a child and isn’t anywhere close to over it. She resents her mother for not doing anything about it. We don’t learn this until later in the movie, but we can infer that something like this happened to her. It explains a lot of her behaviors like her predilection for seeking the company of men willing to have sex with her. Rae will have sex with (almost) anybody and while it would be easy for Brewer to dismiss her as a slut, he doesn’t. It would be grossly unfair to the character and her psychological makeup.
Jackson delivers his best performance since Pulp Fiction in Black Snake Moan. Lazarus is a complex man who quotes the Bible and drinks like a fiend. The reverend is his best friend, yet he still tries to chase him off his property with a shotgun so he doesn’t find out about the white girl chained to his radiator. His life perfectly illustrates the key elements of a classic blues song. His wife left him for another man and only drinking will ease his pain and suffering. Lazarus still plays a mean blues guitar and belts out a few good songs. There’s one scene where he performs in a local bar to a huge crowd of people while Rae dances in a provocative manner. It’s one of the best scenes in the movie. Timberlake gives the best performance of his career as well. He delivers an effective performance as Rae’s equally troubled boyfriend. Ronnie suffers from severe anxiety. It either makes him throw up or break down in emotional spasms.
Brewer provides an honest depiction of mental illness in Black Snake Moan. He treats the subject with respect, never once using it for comic effect. Ultimately, Rae and Ronnie will have to confront their personal demons and find a way to cope with them. It’s surprisingly serious for a film that looks like something that might play at a drive-in in the Deep South. I said it looks like such a film, I didn’t say it is because it isn’t. Not entirely anyway. It’s part exploitation and part serious drama. It’s a tricky blend that Brewer manages to pull off.
The story plays out to one of the best blues soundtracks I’ve ever heard. It’s a combination of new material and juke-joint standards with an atmospheric score by Scott Bomar. Jackson, whose character is loosely based on legendary blues guitarist R.L. Burnside, does all his own singing and playing. He spent six months learning to play the guitar for the role. The title Black Snake Moan comes from the 1927 song by Blind Lemon Jefferson. Brewer once again uses a specific musical style to great effect. He did it with rap in Hustle & Flow and does it again with the blues here. The cinematography by Amy Vincent is striking. The use of color and contrast augments the down-home Southern feel of the movie.
Black Snake Moan is an intelligent, well-made drama populated by believable characters rather than stereotypes. People like this could feasibly exist in the real world. Brewer handles the adult subject matter quite well. The sexual elements are provocative and titillating, but the viewer at the same time understands sex is a symptom of Rae’s condition. As such, it evokes sympathy and understanding as much as it does stimulation. We get a clear idea of Rae’s tumultuous relationship with her mother without Brewer going into too much detail. Richards, in her few scenes, does a terrific job as the trashy mother who doesn’t think much of her own daughter. In short, she’s an awful woman.
Okay, I admit it. I loved the sight of Christina Ricci running around half-naked. She has a nice body. There, I said it! I’m not ashamed to admit the sight of a beautiful woman makes me happy. I bet a lot of guys could say the same exact thing. I think movies like Black Snake Moan are much sexier than hardcore pornography, something of which I’ve never been a fan. I don’t see the point of watching “actors” (if you can call them that) have sex for 90 minutes. When I see an “adult film”, I want it to have a meaningful plot to go along with the sex and nudity. That’s what sets Black Snake Moan apart from some POS video from the back room of a video store.
I call Black Snake Moan a “guilty pleasure” because of my affection for Ricci. I also call it a “hidden treasure” because it doesn’t get the appreciation it deserves. No matter the label, it’s an outstanding film on every level.
