Randy Bell wants a tattoo: nothing big or elaborate, just something to satisfy that inexplicable desire to ornament one's self. But his father thinks that “nice people don't have tattoos”--they're unnatural, inappropriate, and even “against God's law.” So, what's a guy to do? Bell turns the whole decision-making process into a film, visiting tattoo parlors, interviewing people undergoing expensive and painful laser tattoo removal, and shooting long, slow pans of arms and chests and legs that are a riot of colorful ink, pictures, and words. From time to time, Bell and/or his father weigh in on the larger issues of being a young man with dreams (or an old man with regrets) as Bell waffles over whether or not to get a tattoo. Towards the end, Bell admits that “the indecision was starting to drive [him] crazy,” a sentiment that, to be honest, the viewer almost shares by that point. In fact, when Bell finally does get his (very small) tattoo, the scene feels both anticlimactic and disappointing as it offers no real conclusion about anything. Modest Scarring features extreme close-ups of needles in flesh, and contains profanity, making it questionable for high school audiences. Optional. Aud: C, P. (E. Gieschen)
Modest Scarring
(2003) 28 min. VHS or DVD: $175. Documentary Educational Resources. PPR. Color cover. Volume 20, Issue 4
Modest Scarring
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