Tuesday 9 October 2012

Poster Deconstruction: Saw (2004)

Saw (2004) - Film Poster


· Tag line- “How much blood would you shed to stay alive?” a  rhetorical question is used to engage the audience, as it provokes them and asks them to think, rather than passively observing the poster. It could also be used as a device to make the audience look at the poster for longer, giving the film more chance of being remembered.
· The tag line is also stereotypical of the horror/thriller genre. It suggests to the audience that the film will contain gore and violent scenes, giving a hint to the plot of the film, and using the idea of the 'shedding' of “blood” to exploit the typical conventions of a slasher movie.
· Typography- Is bold, “SAW” is written in capital letters giving emphasis to the name of the film. The use of the vibrant colour red has the clichéd connotations of blood, death, anger, revenge and again is in keeping within the conventional format for the horror/thriller genre.
· The use of the bright colour against the dark black background creates an extreme contrast, catching the attention of any one viewing the poster.
· Text used- The word “saw” gives little description of the plot of the film, so it is enigmatic to the viewer, but it does also give the idea of a weapon being used; possibly a chainsaw or hacksaw? This makes the relatively minimalistic use of the word appear more menacing.
· Layout- A close up shot of the main protagonist is centred to the left of the poster, with her face half encased in shadow, giving a creepy feel stereotypical of a horror. 
· The close up shows a woman's head encased in a mechanical type head brace suggesting an idea the film may contain torture of this character and also giving a sense that she cannot escape and is trapped.
· The facial expression worn by the main protagonist suggests fear and agitation giving a hint to the unnerving plot the audience can expect from this film and already creating an enigma.
· The title “SAW” is placed to the bottom right drawing the audience’s attention around the poster.

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