Blues musician Lazarus Redd (Samuel L. Jackson) is hurting
mighty bad: his wife, Rose, had dumped him for another man--and what makes it
even worse is that man is Lazarus’ younger brother. Young southern gal Rae Doole
(Christina Ricci) is also hurting mighty bad: her man Ronnie (Justin Timberlake)
has just shipped overseas, reporting for duty in the Army, and leaving Rae all
by her lonesome. Lazarus--or Laz, as he’s known to his friends--buries his anger
in booze, while the nymphomaniac Rae buries her pain in endless sex with just
about anything that moves. After a particularly wild night of partying, Rae
tangles with the wrong dude and winds up badly beaten on the side of a lonely
country road.
That road winds up being just outside Laz’s property, and when he puts out the
garbage one fine morning, he discovers the battered and unconscious Rae, who’s
scantily clad in her underwear. What happens next sounds like something out of
one of those lurid pulp novels that were a dine a dozen on the racks of the
local five and ten. Laz takes it upon himself to "cure" Rae of what he considers
to be her sickness, her ravenous addition to sex. But--after a fevered Rae
escapes the house and runs amuck in the garden during the night--Laz decides
that the only way to truly keep the perpetually horny Rae from giving into her
wicked urges is to chain her to the radiator.
If this sounds like a soft-core adult flick you’d see on late night cable, think
again. Writer/director Craig Brewer takes this southern-fried story concept and,
by using story smarts and well drawn out characters, does a fine job at creating
a vastly interesting tale that rises above its lurid roots. Of course, Black
Snake Moan does give into it’s own sensational urges, such as having Rae spend
the better part of the film scantily clad, but Ricci gives such a fearless
performance as the damaged Rae that she's still watchable regardless of her
attire. The chemistry between her and Jackson rings very true; they were
perfectly cast for these roles.
The rest of the cast that Brewer assembled for his unconventional love story is
also superb, as well. Pop star Justin Timberlake is very good as Ronnie, Rae’s
maladjusted boyfriend who’s got problems of his own. And Law & Order star S.
Epatha Merkerson shines as a local pharmacist who winds up helping Laz out in
his bizarre quest to redeem Rae. Kim Richards, a former child actress from the
1970s, is also excellent as Rae’s bitter mother. The DVD comes equipped with an
audio commentary by Brewer, as well as several great making of documentaries,
and deleted scenes. Black Snake Moan may start out as a lurid piece of pulp, but
stick with it, and you’ll wind up with a sweet-hearted flick about the healing
power of love.
--SF
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