Abhiroop Das
Helmed by Patrick Hughes, ‘The Hitman’s Bodyguard‘ flips what is usually expected of the action comedy genre upside down. Instead of focusing on a bumpy security mission or an unpredictable assassination attempt, the film mashes the two together, giving us the unlikely dynamic of Michael Bryce and Darius Kincaid. The latter was once the most feared assassin in the world, but being apprehended and put behind bars changed things. However, when he finds new hope as an important witness in the trial against former dictator Vladislav Dukhovich, Darius’s past, too, gets dug up. In a way, it is intrinsically connected to the most iconic feature in his design, the extended tattoo that runs all over his arms and back, revealing so much and yet so little about his personality at the same time. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Samuel L. Jackson Personally Pitched the Tattoos as a Part of His Character Design
The extensive tattoo work in ‘The Hitman’s Bodyguard,’ which stretches from Samuel L. Jackson’s arms all the way to the back of his head, is ultimately the work of practical makeup. Given the sheer size and scope of the tattoo, which features a long, willowy tree surrounded by a flock of crows, it would have made it impractical for the actor to get inked for real. Instead, temporary ink helps achieve the same effect and narrative intensity, allowing Samuel more creative freedom. Interestingly, the tattoo design was never a part of the original script or character concept, and instead, it was Samuel himself who suggested it to the writer Tom O’Connor.
When asked about the tattoo in an interview with Essence, Samuel explained that he wanted the ink to be a part of his character, Darius Kincaid’s backstory. In the actor’s own words, “all those crows (on the tattoo) are the souls of the people I killed.” This not only explains the size of the piece but also its symbolic depth, which is likely why the crew was immediately on board with integrating it into the film. A master of the craft, Samuel is no stranger to donning tattoos to add to a character’s memorability. For his role in ‘The Man,’ he sports an esoteric design across his chest and bicep, which is also likely the result of makeup and temporary tattoo works.
The Crow Tattoo Connects to Darius Kincaid’s First Kill Ever
While Samuel L. Jackson broadly explains the purpose of his tattoo as a symbolic tally of his kills, a closer look at the film reveals more layers. The biggest connection comes from the scene where Kincaid recounts his backstory, as there is a quick cut there of a crow zipping out of a tree at the sound of a gunshot. This shot is the first time Kincaid ever kills someone, and he recalls that the image of the crow flying away seems to have been burned into his memory. As such, each kill after that likely reminds him of the same image, thus prompting the creation of the tattoo, one that is constantly evolving. However, one difference between the real and the ink is that these crows are trapped in time.
In the original incident, the crow flies away in a state of panic after Kincaid fires the gun, as if some sort of natural peace has been shattered. That fact alone likely haunts Kincaid the most, as it extrinsically represents the dark path he undertakes from that night onwards. By essentially capturing these birds in time and imprinting them on his arm, all the way to his back, nape, and ultimately head, Kincaid seems to be taking on a responsibility or guilt, that of ending lives and disrupting nature’s pristine state. Across world cultures, crows are interpreted to be the channels between death and the spiritual world, but in Kincaid’s tattoos, they seem trapped in a cycle, much like the assassin himself.
Read More: Review: The Hitman’s Bodyguard is Fun But Forgettable
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