The Last Tattoo (1994)

During WW2 small nation of New Zealand is swarmed with U.S. servicemen who mingle with local female population. In such circumstances nurse Kelly Towne has got a difficult task of tracking ... See full summary »

Director:

John Reid

Writer:

Keith Aberdein

Stars:

Desmond Kelly, Katie Wolfe, Mark Raffety

3 wins.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Desmond Kelly	...	Monty McGurr
Katie Wolfe	...	Rose Mitchell
Mark Raffety	...	Johnny O'Rourke
John Bach	...	Austin Leech
Kerry Fox	...	Kelly Towne
Jacqui McPherson	...	Simpson's Maid
Elizabeth Hawthorne	...	Henrietta Simpson
Peter Daube	...	U.S. Airman
Emily Perkins	...	Girl on Balcony
Donna Akersten	...	Mrs. Monaghan
Danielle Cormack	...	Molly
Stella Reid	...	Molly's Daughter
Joanne Mildehall	...	Woman in Towel (as Joanne Mildenhall)
Michelle Huirama	...	Grace Raukawa
Tony Goldwyn	...	Capt. Michael Starwood

Storyline

During WW2 small nation of New Zealand is swarmed with U.S. servicemen who mingle with local female population. In such circumstances nurse Kelly Towne has got a difficult task of tracking down venereal diseases. She meets U.S. Marine Captain Michael Starwood who is investigating the murder of one U.S. servicemen.

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Plot Keywords:

female nudity | world war two | independent film

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Genres:

Drama | Mystery | Romance | Thriller | War

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Details

Country:

New Zealand USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

3 February 1995 (New Zealand)

Also Known As:

Az utolsó tetoválás

Filming Locations:

Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand

Company Credits

Production Co:

Capella International, Plumb Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

112 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

Featured in Cinema of Unease: A Personal Journey by Sam Neill (1995)

User Reviews

Atmospheric wartime mystery

This is a well-acted film combining talents from the US and New Zealand to produce a work that creates an interesting sense of period and the clash of cultures during a time of extreme circumstances. Fox and Goldwyn play a Kiwi public health nurse and US marine officer respectively who unwittingly find themselves in the midst of dangerous political intrigues being played out between their nations against the background of the war in the Pacific in 1943, with the truth lying hidden within the seemingly unconnected murder of an American soldier and the sudden outbreak of an unusual strain of a sexually transmitted disease. From this odd-sounding premise, director John Reid fashions an evocative story of disenchantment and disharmony amongst servicemen and civilians alike that contrasts convincingly with glossier treatments of wartime. This is a deliberately-paced work that paints moving portraits of people caught up in larger events but who still long to find a few moments of warmth and companionship within the madness that surrounds them, and the production as a whole does a wonderful job of communicating the uncertainty of the time and it's accompanying hopes and fears.