Textual analysis of a film poster.

Prisoners

Prisoners is a film about two young girls that are kidnapped, and the story of the process of finding them: the loose ends, the dead ends, the leads and the despair. It is a psychological thriller that has you on the edge of your seat throughout the film. This poster is a good representation of the film, and in advertising terms it is interesting and intriguing.

   The camera angles used are close ups on the two main characters. Showcasing their individual and classic emotions throughout the film. On the left is a sorrow-struck father distraught due to the loss of his daughter, who has been kidnapped. From his facial expression we can see his pain, he looks to the ground with tears in his eyes and a furrowed brow. Detective Loki (Jake Gyllenhaal) is on the Right, his facial expression is more determined, we can tell that he does not feel the same pain, or share the same emotions as the father, his eyes are fixed on something, he still has a hint of discomfort and pain on his face, but its more to do with his aim to find the missing girls.

   A light is shining on both of the characters inside cheek, suggesting that there is a light in the centre of the poster, in the middle of the maze. We cannot see the light but we can see that it is affecting both characters. This could be symbolic of the missing children.

 The colours of the poster are dark, almost black and white, the lack of colour is again a representation of the sadness and despair in the film. The parent has lost the colour in his face as his two girls have been lost to him. The world is as simple as black and white to the detective- “find the missing children, do my job”.

       The two character’s heads are placed In  front of a maze. The maze is obviously a representation of the difficult and confusing search for the two little girls. In the centre of the maze is the caption: “ A hidden truth. A desperate search” a fitting quote for this film as it pretty much sums up the plot.

     “A hidden truth” is mysterious, it suggests that there is some kind of plot twist, or intricate storyline, this makes us, the potential audience, want to watch it and find out what the hidden truth is.

   “A desperate search” sounds exciting and makes us want to watch the film, we are alerted that it is intense and that we are most likely going to be on the edge of our seats for the entirety of the film. Again, we are subtly encouraged to watch the film.

             At the top of the poster there is the names of all the main actors involved in the feature, Hugh Jackman and Jake Gyllenhaal’s names are in the top left hand corner, we read their names first because we read from the left, they are advertising the film by promoting the actors, the fact that they are well known and have been in many good films encourages us to watch them in this film. In small print at the bottom is the names of the institutions, producers, director, writer, screenplay etc.