Plot: What’s it about?
“Black Snake Moan” is a rather odd movie and I can remember seeing the trailer in the movie theater last year. This is even more odd, because I rarely venture out to the movie theaters anymore so I had to have seen it when watching “X-Men 3”. Ok, it doesn’t really matter where I saw the trailer but the sight of Christina Ricci chained to a radiator is something that many of us won’t soon forget. I sense that was the filmmaker’s intention as well. And Samuel L. Jackson…man does this guy ever stop making movies? Ever since 1994’s “Pulp Fiction” this guy’s been in one movie (good and bad) after another. At any rate, I was looking forward to his role here as opposed to “Snakes on a Plane”. And what of the director, Craig Brewer who both wrote and directed this also helmed “Hustle & Flow” which I’ve never been able to make it through in one sitting. Suffice it to say that I had these and many other thoughts running through my head when popping in this HD DVD of “Black Snake Moan”.
The movie opens as Ronnie (Justin Timberlake) and Rae (Christina Ricci) are in the depths of love-making. Get used to it, it’s something that Rae does often and pretty much everywhere. Ronnie is being shipped off to Iraq, so naturally his girlfriend is giving him a goodbye present. He leaves and it’s a matter of minutes before Rae’s at it again with someone else (and someone else, and someone else…). Eventually, after a night of partying, she’s found unconscious on the side of the road by Lazarus (Samuel L. Jackson). He manages to nurse her back to health and even cures her cough. She’s appreciative of his efforts and tries to leave only to find he’s chained her to his radiator. Yes, really. His aim is to cure her of her sickness and feels that this is the best way to do it. That said, Lazarus has his own personal demons in that his wife has just left him for his brother. As we might expect, the two form an odd type of bond and without giving too much away, some things happen and some things don’t.
“Black Snake Moan” isn’t a bad movie, not in the least. It’s slow-paced and some might find the material pretty offensive. Those, like me, who have been waiting for years to see Christina Ricci topless will be rewarded with several shots of the once child star. The film, like “Hustle & Flow”, is set in the Deep South and though they never really say where I’m guessing it’s in Northern Mississippi or perhaps rural Tennessee. It’s a moot point, of course, but for those wondering – that’s my educated guess. Ricci is actually pretty decent in her role and Samuel L. Jackson has found a rhythm here. When he plays it low key, he’s usually a lot better in his roles. Then again, it’s Samuel L. Jackson and the phrase “low key” and he don’t go together that often. Love it or hate it, “Black Snake Moan” is certainly worth a look for those who might be curious.
Video: How does it look?
The 2.35:1 HD transfer is certainly easy on the eyes and just about everything looks better in 1080 lines of resolution. A majority of the movie takes place indoors and at night, but the transfer held up surprisingly well. Being shot in the South, there’s always a thin film of glistening sweat on everyone’s skin and this is no exception. We can see every bead. Flesh tones seemed very warm and natural and I noticed no artifacting at all. I did compare this to the standard DVD that Paramount sent as well and the difference is very noticeable. For those wanting a superior visual experience with “Black Snake Moan” look no further.
Audio: How does it sound?
The Dolby Digital Plus soundtrack isn’t as good as some of the others out there, but the blues music really does sound pretty good echoing out of all 5.1 channels. As we might expect, the dialogue is crystal clear and there are only a few spots in which I’d say that you get your money’s worth. Still, a 5.1 track is a 5.1 track and this does sound pretty darn good in spots. A good rule of thumb is to go in with your expectations low and then you’re less likely to be let down (though you won’t be here).
Supplements: What are the extras?
We start off with a commentary by writer/director Craig Brewer who offers up his thoughts on the film and gives a fairly insightful look at the making and casting of the film. I think I’ll have to finally watch all of “Hustle & Flow” now. We get the obligatory “Making of ‘Black Snake Moan'” along with “Rooted in the Blues” featurette. What’s better is that we get some deleted scenes, but they’re actually presented in HD. This is a rarity as of this writing, but hopefully something that we’ll see more of in the future.
