The Dark Knight, 2008
These posters are really interesting because, although they are both for the same movie, they are very different from one another. They are also a lot less traditional than a lot of current film posters. I really like the first one especially, because the Joker cards are both relevant and effective. The Joker's smile looks as though it is slashed across Batman's face; and the cards that surround and make up his image make it look as though he's being possessed. The scrawled writing of the Joker has a similar effect.There is also blood across a lot of the poster, which instantly makes it appear dark and eerie. Another part of this poster which I think makes it work so well are the colours. It looks quite saturated but still striking because of the contrast of the black, cream, and red.
Although the image is broken up with the cards, Batman's eyes are whole. This gives him a sense of still being in control. They are very staring and angry and it appears as though he has every intention of getting his revenge and breaking out of the wall that the Joker has put up for him.
The second poster is much more simple; but this makes it potentially more striking. Batman is definitely in control of the scene - the camera is at a low angle and the character stands tall and domineering. The building behind him not only looks destroyed; but is filled with fire in the shape of the Dark Knight's symbol. This is just above Batman's head; and even placed at the same angle, as though it is making his identity known. The sparks of the fire are coming in to the foreground; which carries the poster across the frame and highlights the dark and light aspects of the lighting. The image is very smoky and dramatic; and surrounds Batman to make it seem like he is not only at the front of danger, but overcoming it.
I love the tagline, 'Welcome to a world without rules.' because it sounds dramatic, full of energy, and adheres to the sense of escape to the cinematic world.
These posters are all examples of styles often seen in film posters. Salt just has the face of one person, dominant in the frame; Valentine's Day is about the story of many characters and is sold to audiences based on its stars, and in the form of a heart because the genre is romantic comedy. Titanic features the boat and the two main characters that it tells the stories of; whilst Forrest Gump shows the character seated on his on during the most iconic point in the film where he tells his story. The poster is simple and focuses on him as an individual, which is relevant to the film because Forrest is an independent character and focuses on the important aspects of life. What all of these posters have in common is the emphasis on the stars of the film; all of them are featured in picture and in name and audiences are likely to expect a certain genre because of how these actors are connected to the movie. Where locations are used, they are important factors of the films narrative.
