Movie Ink: A List of the Top Five Movie Tattoos
Inked up and making a statement
As David Fincher's The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is making way to hit theaters on December 21, I thought it might be fun to take a look at tattoos in movies. In talking with some friends about the idea it was interesting which movie tattoos came to their minds first. Angelina Jolie's in Wanted seemed to be one everyone mentioned and Vin Diesel in xXx was another, both memorable, but neither really stood out to me.
I took the question to Facebook where many people responded with four of the five tattoos that made my list along with tattoos from films such as Robert De Niro's tattoos in Cape Fear, Ed Helms' Mike Tyson tat in The Hangover Part II, Ralph Fiennes' back splash in Red Dragon, "Respect" in Nicolas Winding Refn's Pusher, The Rock's sleeve in Faster and the "Dark Mark" tattoo from the Harry Potter franchise.
I was surprised no one mentioned Wesley Snipes' tattoos in the Blade films, Russell Crowe's skeleton tat in Romper Stomper, Kurt Russell's cobra tattoo in Escape from New York or Enola's tattoo from Waterworld. I never considered Darth Maul's face a tattoo from Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, but apparently it is.
When it came to my list there was one I included as my "cool" selection and the others play a little heavier on the film's plot. Hopefully aside from everything I mention you will come up with some I forgot, hopefully some from earlier films since I know they are out there, I just couldn't remember them. I say, however, if I had listed six films, Brad Pitt's tattoos as bare-knuckle boxer Mickey O'Neil in Snatch would have probably been #6. I just love the way they aren't perfect and almost look like they were penciled on in a matter of minutes rather than the careful design of so many other you most often see in movies.
That said, let's have a look at my top five…
5.
From Dusk Till Dawn
Seth Gecko (George Clooney)
Photo: Miramax
When it comes to tattoos in movies this is probably the first one I think of, not because it was integral to the plot, but simply because from the first moment I saw it I thought to myself, Now that is bad ass!.
When From Dusk Till Dawn was released, George Clooney was knee-deep in "ER" as Dr. Doug Ross, not many people knew him as anyone else and director Robert Rodriguez found one hell of a way to get people to forget the womanizing "ER" doctor and turned Clooney into the level-headed criminal with the crazy brother played by the film's co-writer, Quentin Tarantino. That tattoo was one of the things that allowed me to accept Clooney in the role and turn this rather bad film into one of my favorite mindless movies.
Unfortunately there aren't any great looks at the tattoo in full so I've included a couple of screen captures from the DVD above and below along with a clip featuring the opening supermarket scene to accompany this placement.
Photo: Miramax
4.
American History X
Derek Vinyard (Edward Norton)
Photo: New Line Cinema
If you want a tattoo that says something about its character, you don't have to look much farther than the chest of Derek Vinyard played by Edward Norton in Tony Kaye's American History X. This guy is the devil incarnate and his blatant embrace of the swastika he so proudly wears offers all the evidence you need.
However, if you need even more evidence as to Derek's character I offer up the clip included here. It's a clip that is very unsafe for work and for anyone that has seen the film, it's exactly the clip you think it's going to be. Personally, I just included it, it's a clip I cannot watch. Once was enough for me…
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is directed by David Fincher. It was released by Columbia Pictures and hit theaters on December 20, 2011.
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George Clooney in FROM DUSK TIL DAWN was the first thing that ever made me want neck tattoos.
The tattoo in American History X also offers up a rather powerful scene. Not only the dinner scene with Elliot Gould, but also the shower scene where Derek covers it up.
Hey, Brad, speaking of Eastern Promises do you know when they're going to shoot the squeal or did they canceled it? I look it up online, they said it's shooting this winter, but I read that David Cronenberg is shooting his next film with Cosmopolis next. So, do you know or heard anything about the squeal?
From what I understand Eastern Promises 2 is still at a very early stage. Cronenberg did confirm that the film is likely to happen but i'm not sure if there is even a final draft of a script ready.
Coincidentally I watched "Night of the Hunter" last night for the umpteenth time.
I've always liked Stephen Lang's eagle tattoo in Avatar. That made him more like an ultimate tough guy.
The Night of the Hunter photo reminds me of the "Jake" & "Elwood" hand tattoos in Blues Brothers.
boondock saints aequitas veritas was pretty dope…
This list should have made room for Robert De Niro in "Cape Fear." The ink on his back, displaying a giant cross, balancing a bible and dagger is awesome. It just fits the character of Max Cady perfectly.
As soon as I saw this article's title I immediately thought of CAPE FEAR and NIGHT OF THE HUNTER (surely the most iconic use of tattoos in cinema to express character, and probably the first). I'll forgive you for sidelining CAPE, but leaving out HUNTER? That omission negates the validity of this article.
Ah, I'm an idiot – just saw HUNTER on the last page. My mouth is quicker than my brain sometimes!
ThE SALTON SEA Val Kilmer's back.
I was hoping the Dusk til' Dawn tattoo would make it on the list. Not so much for the design, but that it was teased throughout the movie and actually had a reveal at the end. You see it creeping out onto his hand and neck and it makes you keep wondering what's hiding under there.
The demon with the snake tattoos in Ninja Scroll.
See the one I always think of is the one that Keanu Reeves has in Constantine. Two halves of the total tattoo on the outside of his two forearms. It's some sort of magical device that when he slams them together it makes whatever is hidden reveal itself. I actually thought about getting it as it is a cool geek tattoo.
What about the amazing dragon tattoo in Michael Mann's "Manhunter?"
what about maggie gyllenhall's in stranger than fiction?? that's a great-looking tattoo…
Don't forget De Niro in the Cape Fear remake.
Matthew McConaghey's (I think I spelled his last name correctly) in Reign Of Fire is the coolest tat I have ever seen in a film. That tat made me want to get one and I'm just not that kind of guy.
When I saw the title of this list, I said to myself "'Night of the Hunter' had better be #1."
Thank you for getting it right.
I think Brad Pit's character in Snatch should have been on this list.
Sean Penn in Mystic River, one of my favorite movie tattoos
The tattoo on Jonathan Pryce's hand for Something Wicked This Way Comes warped me as a child.
A correction to what you wrote about Memento. He did not have a tattoo that said "I Did It." His tattoo said "I've Done It".
Cmon guys, i had to say that Jim Carey's tatt in The Number 23 is my favourite.
The first one to come to mind for me was another one of Robert Mitchum's films. The Yakuza. Takakura Ken's tattoos and well pretty much everyone else playing a Yakuza member had some terrific examples of Japanese tattoo artwork.
What about the original Girl with the Dragon Tattoo? That thing was insane. And I know this list is just for movies, but I just want to throw in Michael Scofield's tattoo from Prison Break. Classic.
What about Ralph Fiennes in Red Dragon and Russel Crowe in Romper Stomper?