Film Posters - Caroline

'Se7en'

This is the official film poster for the thriller film 'Se7en'. It follows a series of conventions such as the labelling of the two main actors in the film on the top line of the poster in large bold lettering. The colour of this text is also important as it reflects the colour of the lighting on the characters faces in the image and so if we hadn't already we connect the image and the text.

The mise en scene of the poster is ellusive in that the two main characters depicted are shown in the same yellowy light, significant in that they from a team in the film. It portrays them as equal and the dark background emphasies their faces as the lighting is solely on them. The dark lighting in the background indicates the dark nature of the film, and reflects the genre.

The poster also has a tagline of "Seven deadly sins. Seven ways to die". Interestingly this is positioned above the title which may be so that you read the tagline before you read the title and so you realise the relevance of the title. The title is also interesting as it is in red (a colour that is in no other place on the poster) and so it stands out as different and in contrast to the image and other text which are all in white or a light brown. The title is also significantly smaller than the names of the actors at the top which may indicate that the producers feel that the actors in the film are more important than the name of the film itself. The title text is stylised, and looks scratchy and uneven unlike the bold clear text elsewhere on the poster which could represent the two differing portrayals in the film of an organised policeman and a crazed murderer; this reflects the genre of psychological thriller.

The seven deadly sins are listed down the middle of the poster in the bold clear text and in white. This is important as the same text and colour is used for the tagline that explains the significance of this list. The audience link the two pieces of text which reflect that genre and contrast the title.

The review is also in the same font and colour but is slightly larger showing that it is relevant to the film but that the producer wants this to catch the audience's eye and persuade them to watch the film.

There are no references to other films on the poster, and no cultural references (except the knowledge of the seven deadly sins). There also is not an age certification but this is probably just becuase it had not been awarded at the time that the film poster was produced. Again, there is no reference to a website but as the film was produced in 1995 maybe websites had less of an impact then, in contrast to their uses today.

The credits are in white, to conform with the other text and also to make the red title stand out to a greater degree. I think it is less that the credits can be connected with the other text and more than the title stands out in red. They are placed at the bottom of the poster and so don't stand out a huge degree, but they don't need to as they are not information that will persuade an audience to watch the film.

In terms of the five areas of representation the 'Se7en' film poster displays the genre, audience, narrative concept and information about the characters immediately and effectively. The genre of the film is a psychological thriller, (the same as ours) and this is shown through the dark lit bakground, the hard lighting on the character's faces and the scratchy fonts. The effect of the lighting is that it gives a tone of danger to the poster and in turn the film. The font connotes danger also, as it looks rushed, and not the work of a normal person. The reference to death on the poster through the tagline "Seven deadly sins. Seven ways to die" initially connotes the genre, as the audience are made instantly aware that this is not a romcom or comedy. The words "gut wrenching thriller" also show us the genre, if we were in any doubt.

Target audience is clear through the focus on the two central protagonists (Pitt and Freeman) pictured in close up on the poster. It suggests that if you like these two actors then you will be interested in this film. The clear portrayal of the genre also as a thriller shows the target audience as the classic audience for thrillers will be interested in this film.

'Brighton Rock'

Brighton Rock is a film set in Brighton, which is instantly recognisable from the poster, and the images used. The background image of the pier is an iconic image, which is effective in not only setting the film but also in attracting an audience who is interested in Brighton and or iconic landmarks. The stormy skies in the background shows the genre of the film, (crime drama) as it shows that there are concepts of bad or evil involved in the film's plot. This is also makes the lights of the pier stand out to a greater extent , and so the location becomes more prominent. 

The foreground image of the characters is revealing also; the age gap in the characters shows that there is an older audience being targetted, through the portrayal of the older woman on the left. The man in the centre represents the ominous nature already shown by the background image, through th hard lighting on his face and the dark colours he is wearing. The trench coat also has connotations of bad characters. The woman on the right is much younger, and through her costume more than the others we can infer that the film is set in the 1960's. This initially targets another audience (people interested in historical film). She is shown also to be very seductive due to her bright red lips, and this not only another signifer of the 60s but an indication as to the nature of the film.

I feel that the image of the two women on this poster shows that the women in the film are not going to be portrayed as submissive or innocent. The fact that it is based on a novel also opens up another audience, in the form of people who have read the novel and would now be interested in watching the film.

As mentioned before, the background shows the genre of the film as a crime drama. This is also evident through the costume of the man in the foreground, as he looks mysterious and ominous and could either represent the fight against bad or bad itself.

In more detail, the representation of the women is interesting. The costume is important in showing the era, and the difference between the two costumes shows an age gap. The younger woman's coat is undone showing a more promiscuous, relaxed nature than that of the older woman whose coat is done up to the top. This means that the older woman blends into the background more, showing maybe that the younger woman takes importance in the film. Neither woman are facing the camera whereas the man is looking straight into the camera which could reveal a respect for the man, who due to his prominance in the image appears to be in charge. There is a difference shown in the facial expressions of the two women and their reactions to the man. The younger woman does not look scared or in need of the man's company. Facially, she looks independant and not passive. However, the older woman looks quite scared and as if she is looking to the man for protection, not as an equal as the younger woman is. She doesnt look fragile or weak as her body language is strong and not submissive yet she doesn't look as independant or relaxed as the younger woman. This shows the age gap again, and also a different reprsentation of women that may occur in the film.

The media language in the poster also shows the audience and genre of the film. The lighting is hard, which shows th dark nature of the film and this reflects the genre. This also targets an audience as it will target an audience who like crime drama such as this poster shows. All the text is also aligned on the left which reveals the importance of the chracters as they have the whole right side of the poster for their representation. Finally the medium shot of the charcters is effective as they are all shown in equal proportion to each other, showing an equality between them, yet the man is infront of the women, a clear theme of 1960s Britain as women began to want freedom.