20 Famous Movie Tattoos (And What They Actually Mean)
10. Once Were Warriors (1994)
Role: Julian Arahanga as Nig Heke
Lee Tamahori's critically lauded Once Were Warriors is as much a story of Maori identity in modern New Zealand (or at least in 1990s New Zealand) as it is about working class life and life persevering through adversity.
The film offers a stark insight into gangland culture and rituals, as Julian Arahanga turns away from the domestic abuse of his father (primarily on his mother) to join a gang as a means of escape. He escaped violence by seeking a life of violence.
The gang he joins has rituals that require him to be savagely beaten on joining up, as well as having his face dramatically tattooed as a symbol of his allegiance. Maori identity and symbolism as a source of strength are a key part of the film's narrative, and his acceptance of those marks signify his means of escape, despite how extreme they seem.