Black Snake Moan: I Stumbled Upon This Movie

I may be a day late and a dollar short on this one, but I stumbled upon the movie Black Snake Moan at the local Blockbuster, my interest was peeked not only because of Samuel L. Jackson, but because of the Blues. After reading several biographies on the true juke joint southern blues players, you not only hear what they play but you feel the blues deep in the pockets of your soul. This movie has a message, one that we could all learn from, in my opinion that is.

Jackson portrayal of an honest, hard working yet heart broken man tells a story in itself. The movie starts out a bit rough, and could easily be turned off during the first few minutes, but I say hang in there. The actions Jackson character takes when he stumbles upon someone who needs nurturing is a bit rough, and the lessons he tries to teach this wayward girl, are coming from somewhere within a troubled soul, but yet he finds the passion within himself to realize when someone needs saving.

My passion for the blues also is what kept my attention, the haunting guitar playing and the harsh words of several of the songs, brings you right down south, on a hundred degree evening and the smell of whiskey, the smell of sweat, and right into the heart of true southern blues. I've read books on several of the old blues players, Howlin' Wolf for example and the struggles he had through out his life, when you put those books down, you can close your eyes and only imagine the hard times, the heartaches, and the long hot nights trying to make it in the music industry. Let alone make it in the music industry back in the late 50's and 60's when the racial lines were virtually un-crossable. The burning passion that was within so many of the players, came out in ways that you could see the pain on their faces as they played those strings as if their lives depended on it.

Black Snake Moan gets down to the brass tacks of the darker side of life that many are to comfortable to know exists. The crowded, smoke filled nights that some must dive into night after night, just in order to survive, or is it in order to exist. Running away from her troubled past, Ricci's character over indulges in order to escape. This movie shows the raw, uncontrolled behavior of people at their worst, with hopes of bringing out the best, Jackson's character does not give up, and shows even in the deepest regions of the heartache, you can pull it together.

Sharing the love? I wouldn't say that. Sharing wisdom and giving trust - unconditionally is the message that I walked away with. No matter the tragedies that worm their ways into one's mind and set up camp. They can be confronted, fought with and overcome.