poster the usual suspects.docx

The shadows in this image particularly connote the film noir genre. The

positioning of them above each character divides the motives of each

character, and separates their identities. This is emphasised through the

variety of spacing in between each one, and the shape created. The

shadows also rise above to meet the characters names, creating the link

between the actors and the film itself.

The overall image of the police

suspect line up adheres to the film

noir genre due to the immediate

connotation of violence and crime.

The dark clothing of the first three

men is juxtaposed to the lighter,

fresher clothing of the last two,

which again divides the characters

and relates to the plot of the film-

 juxtaposition of motives.

The black sans serif text

placed at the top of the

poster creates an

importance upon those in

the film and heightens the

marketing of the film and

appeal. The black lettering

links to the grey shadows

and overall darkest themes

of the narrative. However

the lettering also juxtaposes

the fresh pure white of the

background, suggesting a

conflict of characters or a

transformation of motives.

The anchorage text of 'Five criminals, [...] no coincidence' immediately adds to

the suspense and intrigue of the film- appealing to a wider audience. The white

serif text contrasts the previous text at the top of the film, and therefore creates

a rather disjointed tone to the poster. The white of the text stands out against

the black bottom and consequently depicts the internal purity against the black

sin.

The layering of the

poster is rather linear

and is therefore

reminiscent of the

police suspect line up.

This linear style gives a

uniformed, tidy

appearance to the film-

symbolising the killing

of each character one

by one- a thorough and

meticulous process.

The characters appear

fairly small in size, in

comparison to the rest

of the poster. This in

turn elongates the

appearance of the

shadows even further.

This effect adds to the

sinister film noir style

and consequently

almost adds a

vulnerable sense to the

character- opposing

their violent nature.

The title 'The Usual

Suspects' is bold and

appealing- heightening

the marketing of the

film. However, the

word 'the' lacks a capital

letter, posing an

emphasis on the theme

of suspects and drawing

attention to the unusual

term of 'Usual Suspects'

rather than the ordinary

'Unusual Suspects'. The

title is placed at the

bottom of the film in

order to create the

elongated effect of

mystery and suspense,

before seeing the actual

name of the film.