Today I revisited David Cronenberg's film "The Promise of the East", this time with an interest in Russian gangster tattoos.
These tattoos are a sign of the identity and status of a gang member, and no Russian gang member is naked. If you have a tattoo that you don't deserve to have, in case someone knows, the gang will come to the door and peel off the tyrant's tattoo together with the skin!
There is a scene in the movie where Viggo Mortensen only wears his shorts to accept the "test" of a group of bigwigs. The bigwigs asked about the tattoos on his body one by one, and it was confirmed that he was tattooed with a star representing honor behind him. The process is very ritualistic and intoxicates the audience.
With Xingxingwen on his shoulders, he declares himself a thief; with Xingxingwen on his knees, it means "I will not kneel before the authority of the authorities".
The Russian onion-topped church with the text on the back is more intuitive. A onion-topped church means that you have entered once or served a year in prison.
According to the inmates, a cat tattoo has several meanings, and it could mean that the person is a cat thief, or that he is a prisoner at the location of the prison. Cat tattoos are usually on the chest or ankle.
Crosses on the chest or back are the most common tattoos among Russian gangsters. Due to the advocacy of atheism in the Soviet era, which led to the rebellious psychology of criminals, they stood on the side of the clergy.
Jesus on the cross represents both suffering and future vengeance.
ps, looking at these photos in the middle of the night will also make people shudder, this series will be updated from time to time in the future.
With Viggo battling two assassins in suits naked in the bathroom, Promises of the East deserves to be one of the best movies of the '00s.
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