20 Famous Movie Tattoos (And What They Actually Mean)
11. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (2011)
Role: Rooney Mara as Lisbeth Salander
Despite being in the title of the film, the significance of tattoos in Stieg Larssons mystery thriller is for the most part a subtle one. Apart from the scene where lawyer Nils Bjurman is branded a rapist using a tattoo, the purpose of Lisbeth Salanders are to show her nonconformity in a deeply corrupt Sweden.
They also indicate a forcibe attempt to seize control of her own body when others would try and take it away from her. Salander is unfazed that her body art immediately marks her as an unorthodox figure in society to her, it is far more important to live autonomously.
The titular dragon tattoo is obviously the most memorable from the 2011 film. We will see the strength and power symbolised by dragon tattoos featured later in this list, but Salanders famous dragon has an additional element.
The highly curved design of the dragons neck and tail is symbolic of the femininity the selfish actions of others have stripped her of - Salander must harness the dominance the dragon represents in order to recover from the events depicted in the film.