This week, we had the screening of the movie The Tattooist and read Schildkrout’s “Inscribing the Body” along with Rubin’s “Tattoo Renaissance” in preparation for the class. “Inscribing the Body” was a great review broken down into sections concerning the different subjects within the existing research on tattoos. Thus, when I was brainstorming ideas on what my final research topic could be, I was able to easily find some initial sources about my options through Schildkrout’s literature review. I will definitely refer back to this review and the sources listed there as my research makes progress.
The movie Tattoist also prompted thought-provoking discussions at the seminar. I was able to learn more about the Samoan tattooing traditions and the function of tattoos in the Samoan community through the movie. Although the production elements such as the animations were understandably not the most advanced given that the movie was made in 2007, it was noticeable that the producers and the screenwriters were very knowledgeable about the Samoan tattoo tradition. Seeing the Samoan characters’ perception of tattoos in the movie provided a unique perspective into the functions of tattoos as markers that unite communities and descendants of the same family, and how tattoos signify honor in certain cultures. Seeing the contrast between the opening and end scenes of the movie and discussing it was also very thought-provoking. I was once again convinced that we should definitely analyze and discuss the reaction to tattoos within the context of the culture and community. In a very traditional Christian culture, tattoos can be seen as defiling the body and something that needs to be “erased”, but in the Samoan culture, only the most honorable are deemed worthy of having tattoos.