Poster Analysis 1

This film is Nosferatu and it was released in 1922. Its original title was   ‘Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens’. The main character was played by Max Schreck.

This is a combination of a character poster, teaser poster and a genre poster. I can tell this by the fact that the poster does not have much information about the producers but it does have a tag line saying ‘That name rings like the cry of a bird of prey. Never speak it aloud….’

This is very clever as it shows the audience what genre film it is, which is obviously horror. However, it does not show the audience the plot as it is a very enigmatic tag line. This is a good idea as it means that the audience will want to see the film so they can come to their own conclusion about what the plot of the film is.

  When I look at the title I can immediately see that it has been written using an old fashioned font such as calligraphy, it suggests that this film was made quite a long time ago and that it is set in the time it was made. However, this also looks like it could have been rereleased due to the title at the top of the poster saying ‘Gothic Horror Collection’.

The main image on this poster is of the main character and the moment you set eyes on him you get the impression that he is quite a dangerous person. I think this because of his bodylanguage, he gives off a wary air, and he looks as if he is ready to attack anyone who gets too close to him. He also looks quite dangerous because of his hungry facial expression and pointed ears. He also has hideously long fingernails which look like they could be used to attack someone (as mentioned before), the same could also be said for his teeth which look very sharp.

Behind the main image it looks like several other images have been superimposed to create a montage to show the setting. The images make it look like he is standing in front of a gate that leads to a forest. This is a very creepy image which further determines the genre of the film. There is also an image of a full moon that is a stereotype for horror films. All of this shows the audience that this is an old fashioned film; however it also shows that it will be a good film.

Towards the bottom of the poster we can see several other screenshots which give a little hint about what is going to happen in the film. They feature some of the other characters, one of whom appears to be a man who looks as if he could be scared. As this film is about a vampire, the image suggests to me that he could have seen the vampire and so he could be being terrorised by the vampire.

 The poster is sepia which suggests again that this film was made in a time when they didn’t have the ways and means to make a coloured film. I also feel that this film is probably a ‘non talkie’ because of the sepia effect. The text colour is quite a contrast to the sepia background which means that it is easier to read because it stands out. It also means that it would attract more attention which would persuade more people to watch the film.

The costume being worn by the main character further suggests that he is indeed a vampire, as he is wearing quite ornate clothing that makes him look very dramatic. As vampires have always been portrayed as quite old fashioned creatures this costume connotes that belief.

I would say that the colours in this poster are supportive of the horror genre as they are quite dark colours, of course as I have already mentioned in the period this was made in they would not have had the equipment necessary to use colour. As dark colours are normally used to represent evil things I think that they have used the correct colour scheme for the genre.

I think that the target audience for this film would probably have been 16 to 30 years and both sexes. I think this because it is the sort of film that groups of friends would have gone to see as the cinema is a social activity.

They most probably would have been working class as it was quite a cheap activity and they could go after they had finished work as a way of relaxing with their friends/dates.

I do not think that this film is family friendly due to the fact that it is about a vampire; it would not be suitable for a young child to watch.

This poster is in the style of a portrait which means that it is easier to read as there is more room for the images. I do not think that this poster has been painted as it reminds me more of a photograph or a print.

In the time that this film was released it was not considered the norm to have horror films so this film would probably have been seen as the start of a new exciting genre.

In conclusion I would say that this poster portrays the genre and the time that the film was released beautifully.