Ink
An ex-Nazi tries to hide, then get rid of his swastika tattoo. Easier said than done.
Ever do something you regret… a lot?
I mean, we’re talking more than splurging on Pokemon cards. Or eating that second dish of ice cream after a four course, gut busting meal. Some bad decisions are LIFE CHANGING – impulsive moments which generate negative effects that can’t simply be waited out. Nor can they be disputed on one’s credit card and conveniently “returned”.
Joe knows a bit about that level of regret. As Simon Parker’s Ink opens, Joe’s hitting it off – extremely well – with Emma. It’s the first date, but their chemistry’s already clicked. Things are on track for a memorable night until...
Emma attempts to remove Joe’s vest. He balks.
JOE
Sorry, but that's got to stay on.
EMMA
What've you got under there?
JOE
You wouldn’t like to see.
EMMA
I'm a nurse. I work in accidents and emergencies.
You've got nothing that's going to shock me.
But Joe adamently refuses to take that danged vest off. In some circles, keeping the vest on would be seen as fun and kinky. But for Emma, it’s a huge turnoff.
She's furious. Throwing his own clothes at him.
EMMA
Then put these back on.
JOE
You're this mad because I won't get naked?
EMMA
You were expecting me to get naked?
JOE
Well, we were about to have sex.
EMMA
Not anymore we're not.
Just like that… Emma shows Joe the curb.
That night – after a shower - the mirror shows a despondent JOE exactly what he tried so hard to conceal: a massive Swastika stretching from nipple to nipple. Yup, one of the most noxious statements one can make, inked permanently into Joe’s chest. Which raises the question: how drunk (or immature and twisted) does one have to be to think a design like that’s a good idea? And sit through all painful hours needed to carve it into one’s skin, no less!
Whatever the backstory, Joe’s worldview has changed since. Realizing the corner he’s painted (or tatted) himself into, Joe grows ever more determined to erase this stain on his soul… and flesh.
Thus begins Joe’s desperate journey. Can a tattoo cover-up artist help?
Even more to the point, should they?
If they won’t, what’s Joe’s next step?
Maybe Joe should be forced to live with his bad choice – the ink being a red-flag sign to law enforcement, the future Emmas he meets, and the world?
Written with dark touches of humor, Ink (unlike Joe’s craptastic tattoo) is an interesting piece of work: an easily shootable drama which raises questions about the power of symbolism, personal growth and the possibility of redemption. Can people change? Inside? Sometimes. And – one hopes for Joe – outside, too!