The final scene of “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl” played on a black laptop in freshman Roger Gao’s dorm room. There’s a Johnny Depp poster on the back wall, and another poster of famous actors, including Depp, above the computer.

“Now, bring me that horizon,” Gao, a computer art and animation major, said along with the film, and then glanced down to his right forearm, where the quote is tattooed in black ink.

Raised in Shanghai and now here in Syracuse for the first time, Gao said he’s always had a fascination with Western culture. This interest is led by his love of films, and the actor Johnny Depp in particular.

Citing many of Depp’s films as examples, such as “Edward Scissorhands,” Gao said that he appreciates Depp for his skill and transformations from role to role.

“We have a saying in Chinese like: ‘You can already be successful if you are handsome or beautiful enough,’” Gao said. “But people like [Depp] decided to do something more than just what’s based on their appearance.”

Positioned slightly above the quote tattoo, near his elbow, is another tattoo taken straight out of the film: it’s the image of a sparrow flying in front of a sunset, and it’s an exact copy of the tattoo Jack Sparrow has on his own arm.

When it comes to movies, the “Pirates of the Caribbean” films are among Gao’s favorites. The franchise, which was originally based off of a Walt Disney World theme park ride, is one of the highest grossing film series of all time.

The decision to permanently etch the quote and the sparrow onto his arm, however, was not rashly made.

“The reason why you want a tattoo should not be just because it looks cool or is beautiful,” said Gao. “It’s something that you really want from the heart or inside…my tattoos push me forward to fulfill my achievements and goals.”

Correction: In a previous version of the article the movie title was misstated. The Daily Orange regrets this error.

Published on September 22, 2015 at 12:01 am

Contact: emmichae@syr.edu