Unchained Melody (Black Snake Moan)

Heartbroken Tennesee bluesman Lazarus (Samuel L. Jackson) finds a panty-clad nymphomaniac (Christina Ricci) left for dead in his driveway. He takes her in, chains her to the radiator and – Bible in hand - attempts to save her soul. Such is the wild premise of this outlandish slice of Southern pulp gothic, served up on a 70’s-referencing blaxploitation platter for our viewing pleasure.

It really shouldn’t work, but Craig Brewer, who romanticised the world of pimps and hos in Hustle & Flow, is more than up to the task. And so are his leads. Apart from an irritating - and thankfully brief - appearance by Justin Timberlake as the Irak-bound boyfriend, there is scarcely a false note in the entire picture. You’ll want to see how far Ricci and Jackson – both in top form – take this seductive, plaintive dance.

It's a relief to see Jackson playing down the self-caricature. It hasn't served him well in recent performances. Here he lends much credibility and mournful vulnerability to the tricky role of Lazarus, a man walking the fine line between well-intentioned concern and righteous folly.

It's Christina Ricci, however, you won't be able to tear your eyes away from - and not just because she cuts a striking figure - haggard and defiant - wearing sweat-soaked panties, a chain around her waist and not much else. She takes her preposterous role as a chain-smoking trailer trash nympho and commits to it without reservations. In doing so, she not only makes us believe in the character, she allows us to care about the damage and trauma beneath the surface.

If you’ve seen the lurid posters or jaw-dropping trailer, you’ll be forgiven for expecting a hard and sweaty exploitation flick. Like a blues ballad however, the film shifts gear in the second verse, moving from sex and heartbreak to healing and redemption. As it does so, it loses a little of its hysterical, sex-crazed aesthetic, giving way to a more sentimental, conservative narrative.

This change in tone is initially disappointing. Take it too seriously and the first half might seem ludicrous, be in on the joke and the second half runs the risk of letting you down. And indeed, what would Black Snake Moan have looked like if Brewer had fully delivered on the boldness of its politically incorrect premise?

Yet there's something compelling in the way these damaged characters end up healing each other and making peace with themselves. A strange southern magic occurs when the chain comes off and the blues guitar is unsheathed. Stay with it and you too may be cured of your wicked ways…

Black Snake Moan is out in Australia on August 2nd, after playing the Melbourne International Film Festival on July 29th. It's out on DVD in the US.

Unchained Melody (Black Snake Moan)