Serpente Negra

I saw this movie about 6-7 years ago at the midnight premier on German cable television and I do not wonder why many people don´t know this flick, because it´s the most unusual work director Russ Meyer ever did: there are no women with outsized tits, and the typical grotesque humor is also missing. Instead of it "Black Snake!" is a plain final speech against any form of colonialism, suppression and slavery. Main actress Anouska Hempel leads her plantation like a cruel mistress treats her subordinates, but at the end the exploited revolt and take bitter revenge against their tormentors... Perhaps this film is the most political statement Russ Meyer ever did, although it also contains a big circumference of sexual symbols and a lot of violent sequences. People who love B-movies or the exploitation films from the 70s will surely like this one. However, inveterated Russ Meyer fans should take care: this is not business as usual!!!

Black Snake is a film that is somewhat hard to categorize. Despite being a Russ Meyer film, it doesn't have enough nudity to be a bona fide soft-core romp. While it sometimes tries to be funny, it doesn't have nearly enough humour to be a comedy. Even though it's about the evils of slavery, it's just not serious enough to work as a drama. While there are quite a number of scenes of violence, it never builds up any tension to make it a thriller. And irrespective of the exotic location, there is no adventure element to the narrative either. Black Snake is definitely, however, an exploitation flick. Taking the above into account, it really is very difficult working out what exactly Meyer was attempting to achieve with this film. At times he seems to be presenting the story about the atrocities of slavery absolutely straight but at others he most certainly isn't. It's not hard to see why this film struggled to find an audience – it doesn't really seem to be aimed at anybody! One thing is for sure though, like many early 70's productions it certainly seems to have one foot in the blaxploitation bandwagon. Although it's difficult to see that particular genre's core audience getting much out of this flick.

The key elements of Black Snake seem to be harsh racist language, bloody violence and a (very) little bit of nudity. The storyline is unremittingly grim, with a group of nasty individuals lording over a slave colony – a sexy female plantation owner, a thuggish Irish foreman and a black enforcer. An accountant travels to the island under a false name to try and find his brother who disappeared there. As it turns out the brother is now a mute vegetable who roams about the island independently. Throw in a rape, a shark attack, numerous whippings, a crucifixion, a burning and an attempted buggery and you have the makings of an exploitation movie. While it's a Meyer film it would be remiss not to comment on the women. There are only two in the picture, a slave girl and the sadistic plantation owner played by Anouska Hempel. The latter looks and acts the part but she really isn't a patch on Meyer's usual strong women. It seems that RM later realized himself that Black Snake was a step too far in an unfamiliar direction. After this film he would go back to basics with a string of 70's films that are far more typical - Supervixens, Up! and Beneath the Valley of the Ultravixens.

This is definitely a lesser Meyer work no doubt about it. But still, it's entertaining in its grimy nastiness. It's just very difficult to label and is most certainly one for Meyer completists only.

If you can make it thru "classic Meyer" titles/intro, you can wade thru anything. But would you want to? I did not find a lot there to dig my teeth into. I suppose if you go into it with low enuff expectations you will be delighted (a la Charlie's Angels.) But for my money I'd like a little something more, more visual, more moving. More. I feel like I'm begging for gruel @ the foot of the master . the mans got the goods . but he just won't share.

I had watched every Russ Meyer film I could rent in chronological order from an underground video store in preparation for a screening of "Faster Pussycat" at Film Forum, where I worked at the time. There were probably a couple titles unavailable, but I saw pretty much all of them. My feminist roommate hated them, because many of them seemed to glorify and sexualize violence against women--something I am very strongly against. My argument, however, is that all the characters in Meyer's films are awful, the men and the women, which is what makes them so campy and over-the-top melodramatic. I grew to love the rhythms of his editing, which were genius and signature, and his delicious, stylish cinematography. When I got to this film, my entire attitude toward him changed. With one film, he proved himself to be a true cinematic master and auteur. Black Snake is visually stunning, terribly disturbing, powerful, and a tour de force. I actually asked Meyer about a DVD release (he personally answers the phone at his office), which I felt was a great compliment to the quality of this film. He seemed annoyed by the question. I hope he changes his mind and offers this on DVD. It's a great work of cinematic art.

Black Snake (1973)

*** (out of 4)

Outrageously insane film from Russ Meyer, which is best described as Roots as a comedy. An evil blonde woman running a slave plantation beats her slaves at any chance she gets but soon the slaves fight back. This is so incredibly insane and politically incorrect that it's no wonder it bombed at the box office and nearly took Meyer broke. You'd think the film was going after laughs ala Blazing Saddles but that's not the case because the film is actually trying to be serious one moment in regards to racism but the next minute it's trying to be your typical Meyer comedy. I just don't get what the hell he was going for. The stereotypes are in poor taste, everything from the way the slaves talk to the way they behave. With all of that said, the film is unlike anything I've ever seen and there comes a point where you just have to roll your eyes and laugh at how stupid it is. I admit that this thing is so over the top that I couldn't help but laugh. Should I feel bad for that? Perhaps but I really don't know what the hell this film was trying to say or if it was trying to say anything at all. Perhaps it was trying to be like a Mel Brooks film but if so, it certainly crosses the line of good taste. Perhaps blaxploitation? Perhaps Meyer was on drugs at the time? If anyone knows the answer I'd love to hear it.