the Movie Space

by richd

The 2007 release of Black Snake Moan by Paramount Pictures did not open to a lot of fanfare. The trailers leading up to it were vague and didn’t give away much of the film. It was moderately successful and far surpassed its estimated $15 million dollar budget. Even with stars Samuel L. Jackson, Christina Ricci, Justin Timberlake, and S. Epatha Merkerson, it was by no means a hit. Only Timberlake received any recognition, a Teen Choice Award nomination for “Breakout Male Performance.”

I can’t say why it was not more successful. Perhaps it was the title with its implied sexuality. In reality the title comes from a 1927 song from bluesman, Blind Lemon Jefferson. Click HERE for a link to the actual song performed by the actual artist. Maybe it was the thought as espoused by Neimus K. Williams’ character Lincoln, and later echoed by Samuel L. Jackson’s character Lazarus about having a half naked white woman chained to the radiator.

There Are Spoilers Below This Point!

The story of a sexually abused child who grows into a hyper sexualized and emotionally stunted adult does not overwhelm the story, rather it infuses the film with a sense of sadness and anger. You find yourself rooting for Ricci’s character Rae while simultaneously feeling guilty for her soldier boyfriend Ronnie played by Timberlake. This movie pulls on all the gut emotional reactions. Deepening those emotions is the blues music which carries the viewer’s emotional investment in these characters to higher levels that probably would not have been as apparent without the music. This movie is violent and beautiful all at the same time. It begs the questions of what it means to be a man from five different viewpoints; the aptly named Lazarus, the Reverend R.L, the panic stricken and overly anxious boyfriend Ronnie, the drug dealing Tehronne, and the innocent Lincoln. It also asks what it means to be a woman by giving dramatically contrasted examples in S. Epatha Merkerson’s character Angela, and Kim Richards’ character Sandy. Rae mimics a modern Prometheus myth complete with the two offerings, nourishment hidden inside a displeasing exterior and something inedible hidden inside a pleasing exterior, an eagle or vulture feasting daily on her liver, causing excruciating pain. It is Jackon’s character that helps her to realize her value and worth. At first he tries, in Zeus-like fashion, to suppress her which serves only to keep her in the same place longer. It takes his releasing her, in Herculean fashion, from her chains to actually allow her to free herself.

This is one of the best movies I have seen in a long time. in my opinion, acclaimed writer and director Craig Brewer has given movie fans a remarkable follow up to his Academy Award Winning 2006 film, Hustle & Flow. With incredible music and great cinamatography, this film doesn’t miss a beat. This is probably one of my favorite performances by Jackson and the best I have ever seen from Ricci. If you can deal with the MPAA’s R rating for strong sexual content, language, some violence and drug use, I would highly recommend taking the time to watch this great piece of American cinema.

Popularity: 25% [?]

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