Black Snake MoanLove is a chain that binds us. We may not want it, we may not know we need it, but it links us--each and every one. Black Snake Moan is the story of two people coping with the pains of "the blues", as defined by blues performer Eddie James "Son" House, Jr. in the archival footage prefacing the film. There is Lazarus Redd (Samuel L. Jackson), himself a retired blues performer, struggling to deal with his wife, Rose (Adriane Lenox), leaving him for his brother, Deke (Leonard L. Thomas). And there is Rae Doole (Christina Ricci), who tries to forget the heartache stirred by the absence of her newly enlisted love, Ronnie (Justin Timberlake), by throwing herself at other men.
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Black Snake Moan is a provocative film, but really for reasons which only become clear in the context of the plot. Superficially, the movie appears to be one about bondage and an interracial relationship separated by many years, with allusions to enslavement and its relation to the South made by the chain wrapped around Rae. The advertisements played up this angle, although the real message of the film is far different. Black Snake Moan is a story which reveals how prejudice--be it race, sex, or regional--is not only wrong but absurd when you really get to know someone. Lazarus discovers Rae unconscious by the side of the road, having been beaten by Ronnie's presumed friend, Gill Morton (Michael Raymond-James), for turning him down for sex after her last drug-fueled night of excess. Lazarus has been trying to understand his faith and how he can maintain it following his estrangement from his wife when finds Rae crumpled, looking like a fallen angel. He cares for her as any decent person would, but in her fevered delusions, she says a comment which reminds her of Rose, and his reaction is just shy of reaching the conclusion that she is possessed. His investigation reveals that she has a reputation for being promiscuous with men like Tehronne (David Banner)--a local drug dealer. Lazarus believes that her plight is something she cannot control; it's more like she's stricken by an infection, an addiction, or a curse. Following the Christian principles in his heart, he takes up the task and responsibility to help set her right, to purge her of this sin, and somehow try to help himself understand this world and the pain still stabbing him in his heart. Naturally, Rae balks at the idea of being chained up in a house with a stranger out in the middle of nowhere, and she attempts to sway Lazarus to free her, even trying to seduce him in the process. Her reactions mirror those of an addict confronted with their disease, including her anger, resentment, bargaining, and eventual acceptance of her condition. Lazarus and Rae connect on a deeper level, one which is more like a relationship between a father and a daughter, a relationship which was clearly absent in Rae's upbringing, considering her stepfather molested her and her mother, Sandy (Kim Richards), ostensibly did nothing to stop it. Both Lazarus and Rae confront their respective demons and shed light on the dark corners of their neglected souls in the process.
Writer and director Craig Brewer has described Black Snake Moan as a fable, and as such, the events and the world of the film are "larger than life". The Deep South of Black Snake Moan is a rural one, where there's always the sound of crickets chirping, where moonshine comes in mason jars, and the poor are very poor. The sense of community in the film is one which might be unrecognizable to those unfamiliar with small town life. Consider the pharmacist Lazarus obviously has a fondness for, a fellow parishioner named Angel (S. Epatha Merkerson), who helps Lazarus by falsifying a prescription for pneumonia medicine when he tells her he's taking care of a "sick niece". It's not a situation where Angel is trying to break the law for illicit gain, but one where good people are just trying to help one another out. Also consider the scene where Lazarus meets with Tehronne, because Rae mentioned his name; Lazarus isn't interested in what Tehronne's selling, but they know each other by name all the same and are social in an "arm's length" kind of way--as much as a retired blues performer and a drug dealer can be. Understanding the dynamics of the world of Black Snake Moan can help make sense of the way Rae and Lazarus are and how they interact with each other as well. Lazarus sees her not as a tramp but a girl whose lost her way and suffering from inner pain, even if she's too scared to admit it. Lazarus periodically gets advice--whether he likes it or not--from his pastor and friend, R.L. (John Cothran, Jr.), who tries to convince him to come back into the fold proper, to once again stop isolating himself and be a part of his community. For Lazarus, proving to himself that he can do something meaningful after his perception that he failed at his marriage is as important as accepting the torments haunting Rae is ultimately for her.
The chain represents both the burden Lazarus believes he must carry to cope with his suffering and Rae's addiction binding her to sex as her own coping mechanism. As if to illustrate the point, at night, Rae wraps herself up in her chain like a blanket as she feels the pangs of sexual frustration. Rae's reclamation is one which requires that she confront the root of her compulsion, a process which involves love and faith. The chain is a link between Lazarus' faith and the bond which Rae feels for Ronnie, who also suffers in her absence. It is a chain that has been forged link by link over time, and one which is the manifestation of the varied baggage accumulated over their lifetimes, not unlike the one referenced by Jacob Marley in Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol". The chain is humiliating for Rae, but it is a safer alternative than her previous path to strike bottom, and like it or not, elucidates her situation and where her path in life has brought her. Finally, the chain is a helping hand--not just for Rae, but Lazarus, since they are both uplifted from their mutual bogs of the soul by it, confronting one another at the length of the chain, compelled to address their own suffering in the process.
Recommended for: Fans of an intense and challenging story about love and hope in the face of spiritual turmoil and doubt. It is an enthralling story which forces one to put aside preconceived notions about people based on superficial assessments, and look deeper into the soul for the real person beneath the sullied surface.
Writer and director Craig Brewer has described Black Snake Moan as a fable, and as such, the events and the world of the film are "larger than life". The Deep South of Black Snake Moan is a rural one, where there's always the sound of crickets chirping, where moonshine comes in mason jars, and the poor are very poor. The sense of community in the film is one which might be unrecognizable to those unfamiliar with small town life. Consider the pharmacist Lazarus obviously has a fondness for, a fellow parishioner named Angel (S. Epatha Merkerson), who helps Lazarus by falsifying a prescription for pneumonia medicine when he tells her he's taking care of a "sick niece". It's not a situation where Angel is trying to break the law for illicit gain, but one where good people are just trying to help one another out. Also consider the scene where Lazarus meets with Tehronne, because Rae mentioned his name; Lazarus isn't interested in what Tehronne's selling, but they know each other by name all the same and are social in an "arm's length" kind of way--as much as a retired blues performer and a drug dealer can be. Understanding the dynamics of the world of Black Snake Moan can help make sense of the way Rae and Lazarus are and how they interact with each other as well. Lazarus sees her not as a tramp but a girl whose lost her way and suffering from inner pain, even if she's too scared to admit it. Lazarus periodically gets advice--whether he likes it or not--from his pastor and friend, R.L. (John Cothran, Jr.), who tries to convince him to come back into the fold proper, to once again stop isolating himself and be a part of his community. For Lazarus, proving to himself that he can do something meaningful after his perception that he failed at his marriage is as important as accepting the torments haunting Rae is ultimately for her.
The chain represents both the burden Lazarus believes he must carry to cope with his suffering and Rae's addiction binding her to sex as her own coping mechanism. As if to illustrate the point, at night, Rae wraps herself up in her chain like a blanket as she feels the pangs of sexual frustration. Rae's reclamation is one which requires that she confront the root of her compulsion, a process which involves love and faith. The chain is a link between Lazarus' faith and the bond which Rae feels for Ronnie, who also suffers in her absence. It is a chain that has been forged link by link over time, and one which is the manifestation of the varied baggage accumulated over their lifetimes, not unlike the one referenced by Jacob Marley in Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol". The chain is humiliating for Rae, but it is a safer alternative than her previous path to strike bottom, and like it or not, elucidates her situation and where her path in life has brought her. Finally, the chain is a helping hand--not just for Rae, but Lazarus, since they are both uplifted from their mutual bogs of the soul by it, confronting one another at the length of the chain, compelled to address their own suffering in the process.
Recommended for: Fans of an intense and challenging story about love and hope in the face of spiritual turmoil and doubt. It is an enthralling story which forces one to put aside preconceived notions about people based on superficial assessments, and look deeper into the soul for the real person beneath the sullied surface.