Black Snake Moan rocks
Robert Dora
Issue date: 11/10/08 Section: Entertainment
Craig Brewer's newest project Black Snake Moan hit theaters on March 2, 2007. The movie stars Christina Ricci as Rae, a young woman with a slew of bad addictions, and Samuel L. Jackson as Lazarus, an old drunk ex-musician. The movie starts with Rae seeing off her boyfriend, Ronnie (Timberlake), as he's deployed. Lonely, heart-broken, and starved for attention, Rae turns to one of her many addictions, sex. After a variety of pills, the woman finds herself bloody and broken on Lazarus's doorstep.
Lazarus is fresh out of a divorce and has taken to drowning his sorrows in alcohol and rage. His faith is the only thing that keeps him going as his self-destructive behaviors get progressively worse. Lazarus nurses the woman back to health but quickly discovers her reputation and various afflictions. In a misguided attempt to help her overcome her "wicked" ways, he chains her up. Rae quickly becomes infuriated with the situation and tries to escape on numerous occasions. Despite the odd setup, the two end up saving each other.
The movie's concept is odd, crude, and even offensive at times. Nonetheless, it's done extremely well. Ricci and Jackson deliver incredible performances. It's easy to get invested in the characters and find yourself rooting for them despite their numerous flaws. The characters each have heavy back-stories and seem to constantly make the wrong decision, and yet the film is heart-warming in its own twisted way.
The actual meaning of the title, Black Snake Moan, isn't actually revealed until the last half of the movie when Jackson sings a song entitled "Black Snake Moan." The name isn't met to imply anything sexual and yet anyone opposed to nudity had best avoid this film, but those who are willing to look past it will find a memorable story. The nudity is extremely important to the plot, though at times it can seem unnecessarily explicit. The movie is very character-driven, but does have moments of action and excitement. It is certainly unconventional but worth renting if you're in the mood for something different.
Lazarus is fresh out of a divorce and has taken to drowning his sorrows in alcohol and rage. His faith is the only thing that keeps him going as his self-destructive behaviors get progressively worse. Lazarus nurses the woman back to health but quickly discovers her reputation and various afflictions. In a misguided attempt to help her overcome her "wicked" ways, he chains her up. Rae quickly becomes infuriated with the situation and tries to escape on numerous occasions. Despite the odd setup, the two end up saving each other.
The movie's concept is odd, crude, and even offensive at times. Nonetheless, it's done extremely well. Ricci and Jackson deliver incredible performances. It's easy to get invested in the characters and find yourself rooting for them despite their numerous flaws. The characters each have heavy back-stories and seem to constantly make the wrong decision, and yet the film is heart-warming in its own twisted way.
The actual meaning of the title, Black Snake Moan, isn't actually revealed until the last half of the movie when Jackson sings a song entitled "Black Snake Moan." The name isn't met to imply anything sexual and yet anyone opposed to nudity had best avoid this film, but those who are willing to look past it will find a memorable story. The nudity is extremely important to the plot, though at times it can seem unnecessarily explicit. The movie is very character-driven, but does have moments of action and excitement. It is certainly unconventional but worth renting if you're in the mood for something different.
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