Disturbing Character Study

Rating: 9/10 (27 August 2013)

The thought of Samuel L. Jackson and snakes in the same sentence puts a feeling of dread in the stomachs of most people at this point, but after the release of Snakes On A Plane there was another movie featuring Jackson as a blues musician. Craig Brewer directed the drama Black Snake Moan, a movie about an older blues musician named Lazarus (Jackson) and a troubled young girl named Rae (Christina Ricci).
Rae is the town tramp who has been scarred by a history of sexual abuse at the hands of her father. She is beaten after her boyfriend (Justin Timberlake) goes off to join the war and the troubled youth is left for dead. Lazarus finds her and nurses her back to health while also offering her some fatherly advice to put her back on the right track.
This film is more of a character study, a look into the redemption of two fallen souls. The story in itself is not very impressive or innovative, but the character development is incredibly deep. Blues music fits not only the setting, but the characters themselves. Some of the music in the film is actually performed by Lazarus himself, and it offers a deeper look into his soul which assists with his development. Cinematography is well planned. Transitions and shading in the film are inventive and fit with the tone.
The most impressive aspect of the film is the acting. Each actor has the character perfected. Jackson, Ricci and Timberlake offer deep performances which I consider some of the finest acting in the past decade.
Fans of dark drama and stories of redemption are bound to find the characters in this film irresistibly truthful.