As I recall, they didn't explain in the film the meaning of the tattoo on the forearm of the jeweler (or antiques dealer?) that Wells tried to sell the jewels to. Wells, the character, certainly wouldn't have had any idea what it was from, but I guess most (or many) in the audience would have, back in 1979.
However, I suspect most audiences today would not understand the significance of the tattoo in that scene at all.
I suspect you're entirely correct on both counts.
~ the hardest thing in this world... is to live in it ~
They didn't need to explain it, we as the viewer already know what the tattoo means while still a mystery to H.G.
shareAs I noted, probably true for a 1979 audience, but not so much for today's audience.
It was a brilliant touch by the filmmakers back then but probably leaves many scratching their heads today (that is, of the few people who actually see this film now).
My children and most of their classmates would know - they are 14 and 18. Of course, we live in MD, near the Holocaust Museum.
shareThere is no way a person who had a primary school education would NOT know what those numbers meant, unless they were sleeping through every one of their history classes during the WWIi sections.
sharehttp://www.annenbergpublicpolicycenter.org/americans-know-surprisingly-little-about-their-government-survey-finds/
http://www.jta.org/2005/05/03/life-religion/features/poll-americans-lag-in-holocaust-knowledge
Nick Meyer would use a similar sequence when he cowrote the script for Star Trek IV. I wonder if the younger Trek fans coming across the movie get it.
It is not our abilities that show who we truly are...it is our choices
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There's a vaguely similar scene in The Delta Force where the camera lingers (without "explanation") on the tattoo on the arm of a Jewish hostage. My younger sister, who was watching it on TV with me, said "What does that tattoo mean?"
And don't get me started on the people who posted on the IMDb messageboards asking what Indiana Jones meant when he said "I like Ike". 😒
Likewise, in The Monster Squad, the kids say to Scary German Guy, "You sure know a lot about monsters." He replies, "Now that you mention it, I suppose I do," at which point the camera zooms in on the numbers on his forearm. Nothing else need be said. No names, no explanations.
It's not Meyers' fault if the history lessons of today are substandard.
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