Review of The Illustrated Man (1969) by Sandra D — 08 Feb 2015

On his way to California to look for work, Willie(Robert Drivas) encounters Carl(Rod Steiger), another wanderer, who is covered head to foot in tattoos, or as he puts it, 'skin illustrations.' He is looking for Felicia(Claire Bloom), the artist whose work he is currently demonstrating, and if he has his way, it will not be a happy reunion.

To be honest, "The Illustrated Man" is an odd movie. Which is all fine and good when discussing a science fiction/fantasy movie like this one, made at a time when tattoos were much less common than today.(It was also at a time when people did a lot of drugs.) Also indicative or cliched of the time is how each of the vignettes is a generational conflict taken to its logical extreme. But perhaps most odd and why it never fully works as well as it should are the intense and unwavering performances from Rod Steiger who was here at the end of his brief run as Hollywood leading man.