Film Noir Poster Research

Bethany Welch

The Maltese Falcon (1941)This poster is generally quite simple with the two main characters being the key focus to encourage people to want to see the film. The title is in red which stands out against the blue/white background. Whilst the picture of Humphrey Bogart is a mid shot of him holding guns, the image of Mary Astor is more of a long shot allowing her to be seen in full and highlighting her role as a femme fatale. The tag line is used to make people want to see the film and is the only writing in white, separating it from the rest of the writing on the poster.

Double Indemnity (1944)This poster is another simple poster with just the three main characters being shown to encourage audiences to want to see the film. The pink background is more of a light-hearted colour and so juxtaposes with the films dark plot. Both men are wearing black suits in contrast to Barbara Stanwyck’s yellow dress highlighting her importance in the film and making her stand out. The yellow dress with her blonde hair also makes her seem innocent whilst the black suits on the men make them seem to be the bad characters. The tag line is considerably small compared to the rest of the text on the poster but is used to try and interest people in seeing the film.

Detour (1945)This poster is more detailed, with multiple pictures of different characters. Each image represents a different part of the film and so gives the audience the general idea of what the film is about and encourages them to want to see it. The crowded poster can be seen as being eye-catching as there is so much to look and the black and white frame can make the poster seem more crowded. Once again, the tagline is considerably smaller and harder to read than the rest of the text and is used to interest the audience. This poster could, to some extent, be seen as being unappealing due to the many pictures on it and for there being so much to look at.

L. A. Confidential (1997)The colour scheme in this poster is primarily dark except for Kim Basinger who is at the front of the poster. Not only does her position on the poster make her seem more important than the other characters but her white dress, blonde hair, and red lips (key features of a femme fatale) make her stand out more. This poster therefore follows Mulvey’s Male Gaze Theory, showing her to be an object to encourage male audiences to see the film. The other characters are in darker clothing and are further away making them seem less significant in comparison. The title of the film and the surname’s of the actors are in red making both stand out and making it appealing to the audience. The rest of the text is in white making it harder to read and seem less important.

Brick (2005)This poster is simplistic, especially compared to other posters yet can still be viewed as being eye-catching. The background is dark, making the hand, the white sleeve and the blue bracelets stand out. Anyone who has seen the film understands that the blue bracelets are an important reoccurring feature of the film and so makes this image more significant. This image can also be used to make the audience want to find out more and so whilst simplistic, can be powerful. All of the text is white making it stand out against the darker background and being a semiotic for innocence. This poster also features a web address at the bottom, encouraging an active audience to get people more involved with the film.

The Black Dahlia (2006)Once again, this is a simplistic poster with just one image being used yet it can still be powerful in capturing an audience’s attention. The background goes from black to white suggesting the film follows the theme of good against evil. The image of the woman is eye-catching because the audience wants to know more about her. Her red lips are a main point of focus and the perfect line falling from them can be captivating and interesting for an audience. The flower in her hair makes her seem innocent and pure. The title of the film is simple and small in comparison to the image, making the image the main focus point of the poster.