The Last Tattoo (1994) User Reviews

Mindless Meandering Substitutes foe Mystery

[rmarkgarrett · 3/10 · 24 June 2012]

Tony Goldwyn. I continue to wonder how this guy ever got work in something more than a donut commercial, but you really have to blame the writers for trying to make what should have been a 1 hour mystery into a feature. The situations are so contrived, the cat and mouse between a Military Intelligence Captain and a public health nurse so absurd, one struggles to find anything in this film that rings true. And if you're going to do historical fiction, characters and their behaviors should make some sense. But, it was almost worth enduring just to see Rod Steiger on the screen, though in a small role, still projecting huge talent. Take a pass on this one. Life is short, and you'll want the time you spend watching this back.

Great movie that should be seen by all.

[dewey22 · 8/10 · 24 December 1999]

This is one of the best of 1994. It has great directing and attention to detail. The acting is outstanding with a supurb performance by Kerry Fox. She is a nurse who is trying to track down the source of a venereal disease that has no cure. This movie should be seen by anyone who likes mysteries and the complexities of real life. Attention getting from start to finish.

Atmospheric wartime mystery

[mrbacim · 8/10 · 11 November 2001]

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.

Excellent depiction of how "penacillin" came about in NZ for std's

[graylady2 · 10/10 · 16 November 2006]

I saw this movie, or at least most of it, and have since been trying to acquire it for my library.. I am from New Zealand,and i am a retired nurse who trained in NZ after the war..Back then there were not that many advances in medicines compared to the USA..The storyline was well depicted and pretty much close to the real thing of back then..I married a navy man and have since divorced though,but i do know how the American servicemen are when they are overseas,especially down-under..a great movie...adored the storyline so close to home.. I feel that Kerry Fox, did an absolute astounding job as a Registered Nurse,and depicted the uniform well.New Zealand is very pretty, and they showed some beautiful scenery.Rod Steiger,portrayed his character well. This movie ran the gambit of intrigue etc,It brought out the nasty topic of sexually transmitted diseases,and how a drug was needed like penicillin to help cure this disease.It also brought out the desperation of loneliness, and what it drives one to do for that love and affection,even if it is for a few moments and the end result sadly can be std's.