"Show me a man with a tattoo, and I'll show you a man with an interesting past."
-Jack London
As a self-trained filmmaker and enthusiastic storyteller, I have discovered and determined some my most essential artistic preferences over the years. Ranging from how I as a cinematographer prefer to light my scenes to how I as a writer would like to have my characters textured and rounded. One of the things I have grown to appreciate, both in storytelling and in my personal life, is the art of the tattoo. One of the oldest and most versatile art forms in human history.
For as long as I can remember, I have always been fascinated with tattoos. As a kid, I would purchase temporary tattoos from a coin machine at our local Pizza joint upon every visit. It is only in recent years that I finally built up the courage to get myself a few actual ones. A painful process to be sure, but ultimately well worth it. Even so, a common question or statement I hear from family and friends, who don't have any tattoos, is "why would you put yourself through that?" or "I just don't get it." So, if you have a minute, I'd like to share with you my thoughts on what makes tattoos well worth the experience, and in doing so, explore why they are perfect for movies and storytelling.
First, a little history.
Tattoos have been utilized by humans pretty much since the dawn of existence. No one really knows how it got started, but there is at least one theory which I think is the most likely and the coolest. Early cavemen would apply charcoal dust to their wounds after a hunt and would leave black marks where the injury had been. Some historians hypothesize that this had evolved into a means of marking one's accomplishments and status. The one piece of evidence to support this theory is the remains of a long-dead caveman dubbed Ötiz. This early man was discovered in the frozen mountains located between Austria and Italy. Perfectly preserved in the ice since 3300 BCE (Before Common Era) his body was also found to contain several tattoos.
Of course, Ötiz is not the only part of tattoos historical significance. The Japanese have a captivating and beautiful story of the artform. In the 18th century, it was decreed that only the royal and wealthy families were permitted to wear Kimonos (traditional Japenese garments) with gorgeous and elaborate patterns and designs, while the commoners were forbidden from wearing such garments. As a form of rebellion, some people chose to get tattoos that would create the appearance of a royally designed Kimono. This practice would later be adopted by the Japanese mafia known as The Yakuza, serving as a badge of honor and commitment to the clan.
Another excellent example of fantastical tattooing is in the Polynesian culture. Throughout the Pacific Islands, especially New Zealand, tribes have used tattoos for various occasions. They mark rites of passage, sexual maturity, and accomplishments in battle. Some tribal members, usually the leaders and/or shamans, would have unique tattoo patterns on their faces. Which not only served as a means of establishing their place in the tribe but also acted as their signature. Upon signing written agreements like trade papers or the like, they would sign with their facial tattoo pattern.
Today, tattoos have become a common practice all over the world. While it didn't really pick up steam here in the west until the 1940s (arguably), once it did it slowly became an accepted and even welcomed artform. There was a time when having or getting a tattoo here in the west was looked down upon. Seen as a sign of untrustworthiness or danger. Not helped by the fact that most of the people who are likely to get tattoos, at least perceivably, were the kind of people who would cause harm just by looking at them wrong. Thankfully, that perception has changed over the years. Because of good people with tattoos, kind-hearted artists, and even movies and TV shows, tattoos have become more than just a status symbol. They have become marks of personal and even spiritual commitment. Be it for a great cause or a personal revelation, getting a tattoo is one of the many great ways to grow as a person. Speaking personally, one of the reasons I got tattooed was to help overcome my fear of needles. Since then, not only have I no longer fretted getting a shot from the doctors, but I have also been a proud and regular blood donor ever since.
So, having explored all of that, how is it that tattoos can truly benefit storytellers? Well, aside from giving the make-up artist something fun to do with the characters, assuming the actor in question doesn't already have something that could fit the role they're playing, tattoos can quickly inform the personality of a character, their past, and their inherent likability. Not just from what the tattoo is but also where it is on the character's body. Also, given the fact that film is a visual medium, where the golden rule is "show, don't tell," tattoos can serve as a perfect visual representation of the characters inner qualities and desires. Plus, they just look so damn cool.
One example I like to point out is the film The American starring George Clooney. While it is not one of my favorite movies for reasons I will explain momentarily, it is a perfect example of using tattoos for storytelling. Said story is of an American named Jack living in Europe whom we eventually discover works as a weapons builder for assassins. Designing and crafting specialized weapons to later be used by the respected client. Jack's backstory is never really explained and aside from seeing him in action as he escapes a mysterious pursuer, we never really get a sense of who he is as a person. That is until we see a quick scene of him in his room exercising with his shirt off revealing a few tattoos. On his back is the image of a Butterfly and on his shoulder is what appears to be a custom design of a military-style sword.
The movie itself is not really all that good, at least in my opinion. Aside from featuring gorgeous cinematography of the Italian countryside, the film doesn't really have much life to it. Preferring to be a series of quiet moments occasionally interrupted by bursts of action. It also loses many points for being yet another story that tries to make the audience sympathize with an assassin. Granted, one could argue that Jack is technically not really an assassin since he isn't the one performing the killings. Except, that argument is rendered pointless when you remember that, even though he is not the one pulling the trigger, he still built the weapon for the assassination in question. Also, Jack does murder people in this story indeed. He even goes so far as to murder a woman he was in a relationship with for no other reason than to ensure that he won't be found again by whoever was chasing him at the time. As far as I'm concerned the only movie that has successfully told a compelling story about an assassin was Leon: The Professional. Purely because the story makes it very clear that the main character is too evil to sympathize with, and prefers that you emotionally attach yourself to the young girl in his company, as she has a better justification for your sympathy. But I digress.
Setting aside my personal criticisms of the movie, it is still a prime example of using tattoos for storytelling. Because we have not yet had the opportunity to explore Jack as a character, this scene with his tattoos on display gives the audience a good starting point for an examination. Upon looking at the symbols on Jack's body we get the impression that he was likely in the military, has an interest in Butterflies (a stark contrast of beauty with darkness), and sees the beautiful winged insects as a kind of guardian angel. As if it is always watching his back. Also, despite his dark occupation, and his bad habits (for want of a better phrase), he is still seeking love in some capacity. I'll explain in a moment.
Furthermore, the Butterfly on his back symbolizes and reinforces the film's theme of death and short lives. Butterflies tend to live very short lives, as do most of the people who do what Jack does for a living. Not only does he work in death, but he also fears it and runs away from it every time it comes knocking on his door. It's almost as though Jack relates to Butterflies better than he does to other people. This is likely an attempt on the writers part to make the audience sympathize with Jack, which under any other circumstances would likely work, but just doesn't really work here for reasons I've already explained.
As I mentioned earlier, part of Jack's tattoos gives the impression that he desires love, or at least to be loved in some way. Underneath the sword on his shoulder are the words "Da Mihi Basia Mille," which roughly translates to "Give me a thousand kisses." This is a direct reference to a famous poem written by an ancient Roman poet named Catullus. The poem itself is about encouraging lovers to ignore the scorn of others and live only for themselves. This is further demonstrated in the film through Jack's desire to quit his dark profession and live a happy life with someone he seems to care about. I say "seems to care" because the person in question happens to a prostitute and it's never really made clear if either of them actually has a spark of any kind. I think the story wants there to be something between the two of them, but I digress again.
Despite my personal misgivings with this film, and how much it failed to make me sympathize with the protagonist, I still stand by my conclusion that it is a perfect example of utilizing tattoos in storytelling. Even though you as an audience won't likely care about this character, you did get a good idea as to what kind of a person he was and what he was seeking in life. All while following the golden rule of cinema: Show, don't tell.
There you have it. Tattoos are not only a beautiful means of self-expression and personal achievement, but they can also serve as excellent visuals for characters in storytelling. So the next time you're writing a script for a project, and you need something to visually convey the nature of your character, try thinking about what kind of tattoo that person would likely have. It will help you achieve character exploration and offer a cool visual to boot.
You know, while I was conducting my research for this article, I came across something I never knew even existed. I was a feature film about a man covered in tattoos, based on a book by Ray Bradbury, and starred one of the greatest actors ever, Rod Steiger. I can't remember what it was called, but I know that I absolutely want to find it and watch it sometime soon. It sounds like it would be fascinating to see...and just might make an interesting topic of discussion for another time.
Oh yeah, that was it!
Ladies and gentlemen, I am TheNorm, thank you for reading.
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