Schindler's List
I have firstly decided to analyse the film poster of 'Schindlers list' because I find the film to be so moving and inspiring, the way the film is extremely blunt and shows everything exactly how it was, without rose-tinting is something I want to apply to our film. The fact that the film is based on a true tragedy also makes it much more emotive and powerful because its so realistic.
Visual
The colours used are very desaturated, lifeless and cold, which could represent the sheer depression of the time, as the peoples lives had just been completely stripped of any kind of joy, amusement or emotion and they were forced to function almost mechanically, leading their lives in a strict fashion that was forced upon them with the bland colourings of the poster depicting the life metaphorically being drawn out of them. The slight hint of colour we can see is a pinkish-red of what appears to be a child's sleeve. This could represent numerous things, the fact that the sleeve is that of a child's could portray the fact that the generational disastrous lifestyle is set to continue; with red often symbolising danger, again emphasising the sense of hopelessness and depression as the next generation is sealed with the same fate unless somebody makes a stand.
The close-up shot depicting the joining of two hands is very powerful, symbolising unity and alliance as the Jewish people cannot make a difference on their own, and the bond between Schindler and 'his jews' is ultimately triumphant as he manages to save thousands of lives. The fact that it appears to be a child's hand joining with an adults could represent the vulnerability of the Jewish people, in the sense that they are almost portrayed and treated like children unable to defend themselves and inferior to the Germans, except for the one who decides to help them. This vulnerability immediately creates a strong sense of sympathy, as us the viewers want to reach out and help them and see the 'weaker people' triumph.
In the background a faded list of names is visible as 'schindlers list'. The fact that the poster has been designed to show names and numbers, rather than faces of the Jewish people could represent how they are depicted throughout the film and in the view point of the majority of Germans throughout this film, as just numbers with no significance or importance and not treated as individuals but instead as a mass work force. The list also emphasises the sheer amount of Jews who have had their human rights stripped and personally the list format makes me feel uncomfortable because of the way it emphasises that so many Jews have been treated this way. The list finally foreshadows latter events, as we discover later in the film that Schindler compiles a list of 'his Jews', the ones that have worked for him in order to save their lives. The efforts of Schindler are deeply moving, as although he manages to make a difference the audience are aware that it is not enough to save the majority.
The text used looks aged and almost hand-written calligraphy style, which immediately gives the audience information as to the time period the film is set in and adds personalisation to the processed, typed look of the page which could represent the actions of Schindler, in that he is the one person who is willing to stand-out and make a stand against the almost robotic format all around him as no one dares step out of line. The font also looks rather decorative, written with serifs which represent the importance of the character they are written about and the utter respect that is held for him, symbolising also the characters wealth as the lettering looks in places rather elaborate. The writing also has a slightly yellow tinge, again create the effect of aged and worn as well as looking slightly more authentic, creating a stronger sense of realism for the audience.
Layout
The layout of the poster is very much centralised, with the title, copy and image all place in the center of the page which creates a plain border around the edges, making the poster look much more professional. It also creates ease of reading for the audience, because the main thing that catches the eye is the images, and by placing the text over and in conjunction with the image in the centre, everything is together and organised, with the illusion of less copy than there actually is. The layout also compliments the style of the poster, as it is meant to appear almost like a hand-out, with use of the list in the background, so the audience are in a privileged position to be able to view what is meant to be a private piece of work. The layout could also signify being right in the center of something, as the film is very much an observation and exposure of the pain endured by the Jews so the layout with the list centralised could be reflecting this.
The image is right in the middle of the page, making it the main focus point as the image summarises the whole message of the film - unity, of Schindler joining together with the Jews to save them.
The title is at the top of the page, allowing the image to speak for itself and creating a clean, professional look that's neat and well presented.
This type of layout is something we may wish to apply to our poster if we want the images to be the main focus point, and the idea of personalisation and allowing the audience in on something private.
No comments:
Post a Comment