With that being said, I was blown away by how good this movie was. Great writing, great characters, great acting but surprisingly (as I usually don't even pay attention to it) great music!
Laz (Samuel L. Jackson) is a farmer and former blues musician in a VERY small town in Tennessee. His life has hit rock bottom. His long-time wife had an affair with Laz' younger brother and we come in just as she is leaving Laz for good. The day after Laz gets the devastating news from his wife, he takes out the trash only to find Rae (Ricci) half-nekkid and beat-up unconscious in his driveway.
He scoops her up and brings her inside only to find out she has both physical and mental problems. Laz drives to town to get Rae some medicine to help her with her physical ailments. While there, he also discovers Rae has some real issues. I mean REAL issues. Some of the other townsfolk fill Laz in that Rae is the town slut. Hey, there just is no other way to put it. If Rae is left alone, she gets "the itch" and she needs it scratched fast. Whether it's from the town drug dealer, a high school boy or some drunk guy at a party, Rae's legs will open faster than a Dunkin' Donuts with the entire cast of Celebrity Fit Club waiting anxiously outside.
Laz decides what only any rationale God-serving man would do. He cures Rae of her physical condition but decides, "Shit, I can help this girl with her mental problems as well." How, you ask? By chaining her ass to the radiator. For those who have not seen the preview, yes, Laz puts a chain around Rae's half-nekkid waste and chains the other end to his radiator. That way, she cannot go running off to cure her "itch".
About here is where the movie really turns from a good movie to a great movie. Watching the relationship between Laz and Rae grow is both hilarious (as Rae continually tries to seduce and kill Laz) and heart-warming (as Rae and Laz eventually form a father/daughter bond).
Rae eventually gets Laz to find his musical soul again. This is where the film truly shines. All of the Southern fried, soulful, finger bleeding, heart wrenching Blues music that fills every ounce of this film adds to the emotional complexity of this film. As I said earlier, rarely to I ever pay attention to the music at all in a film (unless it's bad like in The Firm, or awesomely bad like "The Touch" in the original Transformers movie). But here, the music literally made the hair stand up on my arms. Here is my favorite screenshot:
In the scene where Laz and Rae finally secure their bond, Rae asks Laz to play her a song in order for her to get past her "itch". Laz (with Samuel L. actually playing the guitar and singing) cranks out the most bad-ass rendition of Black Snake Moan (yes, Captain Obvious, the song where the film gets it name from) while Rae looking totally sexy listens intently. It is just one of the most emotion-packed, surreal scenes I have ever scene.
ON THE DVD:
An insightful commentary.
A boring making-of.
A great look at how the blues was incorporated into the film.
A very good behind-the-scenes look at the scene where Samuel L. plays Black Snake Moan.
Some deleted scenes. Not worth it, except for a scene cleaning up the relationship between Laz and his love interest in the film (played wonderfully by S. Epatha Merkerson).
FINAL ANALYSIS:
I cannot stress enough how wonderful a time I had watching this film. I always have been a fan of Samuel L. ("THEY ATE ME! SOME FUCKIN' SHARK ATE ME!) and of course, Christina Ricci (and yes, she looks great nekkid). But they were born to play these roles and they have never been better. That, combined with the engaging story, the quirkiness and realness of the characters and the kickass soundtrack, makes this a must see for any movie lover.
BUY THIS DVD!
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