Review of Black Snake Moan (2006) by Dillon L — 28 Dec 2016

Christina Ricci and Samuel L. Jackson star in Black Snake Moan. Ricci is Rae, a southern, trashy like girl that doesn't mind sleeping around. She is in a relationship with Ronnie (Justin Timberlake), but he is off to join the army. Jackson is Lazarus, a man who is struggling with the fact that his wife has just left him, claiming she does not love him anymore. Rae takes drugged, and gets raped and beat up and left for dead on the side of the road by one of Ronnie's friends, and Lazarus finds her.

Lazarus nurses her back to health but figures there is more to play than the fact that she was beaten. He decides to chain her up and figure out what the root of her problem is, and if he can fix her. He must resist the temptation of taking advantage of her despite getting the okay from Rae. Rae resists her imprisonment at first at first, but the two begin to bond and bring out the best in each other. Rae learns to help overcome her libido, and ties it to the fact she was abused as a child. Lazarus learns to heal from his wife losing him, and gain the confidence to play the blues live again.

Black Snake Moan is a tough movie to gauge. The movie seems to not have a purpose for a majority of the film. Ricci is sexy and puts on an underrated performance as the troubled sex addicted young girl. Jackson puts on a soulful performance as well. The two have solid chemistry, but the plot and the means the two go on to helping each other just makes for an unconventional film. For me this was a movie about addiction, temptation and recovery and the troubles will each of these phases. The movie is raw, emotional and charged by good performances. People attribute many aspects of this film to the music of the blues, but I do not know the genre well enough to make the connection. I still enjoyed the movie for the most part, but it's hard to recommend it beyond that.

-12.20.2016.