Samuel L. Jackson kidnaps a wild half-naked white woman and chains her to a radiator until she decides to turn from her wicked ways.
Okay, let’s back up. Taking place in the deep south, Jackson’s character, Lazarus, is a pious gent dealing with the recent departure of his estranged wife, while Rae, a young sexually charged blond girl, is currently left alone by her boyfriend who left for a tour of duty overseas. After a night of partying, Rae is left beaten and intoxicated on the side of the road, where she is later found by Lazarus – the farmer by day and reclusive bluesman by night – and taken to his quiet country home.
Christina Ricci plays the role of Rae, the bruised and beaten nymphomaniac, demon-possessed and thus, in need of saving in the eye of Lazarus. While Jackson is the film’s source for reverence and gravitas, Ricci’s gutsy performance in this movie should certainly not go overlooked.
Written by "Hustle & Flow" director Craig Brewer, Black Snake Moan is a surprisingly well thought out script, that incidentally showcases a meaningful relationship between Jackson and Ricci. Strictly plutonic, of course, the chemistry of the relationship is not as much heart-warming as it is an act of altruistic hospitality, on Jackson’s part, to an excessive, but highly effective, degree. Nevertheless, the chemistry is there, and that is what is most intriguing about the film.
The film also features a lot of southern blues music throughout. Besides singing various lullabies to Ricci’s character, Jackson also manages to belt out a few blues tunes in the film. While it could have been for mere novelty, the blues music actually brings more personality to Jackson’s character and movie overall.
What striking about Black Snake Moan is how well the characters are developed and consistent throughout the film. Given the script’s albeit peculiar, downright laughable premise, the movie needed top notch performances from the actors to prevent it from being a top nominee at the Razzies next February. And, thankfully, Jackson and Ricci delivered on their end and could quite possibly make the contrary to those awards possible.
Some critics have gone so far to say that this is Jackson’s best role since Pulp Fiction. While that might be a premature and farfetched notion, what can be said definitively is that Black Snake Moan is a unique triumph of a film that scoffs at the conventional concept of the dreaded romantic comedy genre.
It’s also a gentle reminder that, as far as movie plots go, once again, anything goes in Hollywood.
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Written by Guest on 2007-03-15 22:50:25
Liked the review, but how can it NOT be Samuel L Jackson's best role since Pulp Fiction? I wouldn't call that far-fetched; it'd be difficult for him to make something worse than what he's done the past ten years. |
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