Film Noir - Similar Products - Movie posters

The movie posters in film noir are another important part of the genre, they basically are the (alongside the trailer) the main advertisement for a production. They are also cheaper than the trailer to produce so most people would be looking at the poster to see if they would want to go see the film. There are many parts that are included in the poster that try to persuade the potential audience to go and watch the film.

This first poster is for the film the Dark Corner. The first noticeable part of the poster is the characters in it. The male character looks as though he is spying on the female character through some blinds, this could insinuate that she has perhaps done something wrong to this man and she is under questioning from him hence the stern look upon his face. The lady also fits the femme fatale category of character as she is well dressed and is attractive in her own respect. The next feature that is included in the poster are the actors and actresses names, the forename is slightly smaller than the surname as this emphasizes the lastname to the audience. This has been done because actors were usually known for their last name and were referred to by their surname. It also gives the audience an idea as to who is starring in the film, if they like the actors/actresses then they will want to go see it.

This next poster is for the film the 3rd Man. The title of the film is an instant 'stand out' for the audience as the red contrasts the black and white making it more noticeable. Another key point to make out if the three sillouettes on the top ride hand side of the poster. They each contrast each other so that they stand out one another showing the three men intwined together. The female character at the bottom of the potser is the larger of all pictures. This shows her dominance in the film meaning that she could potentially be a stronger character than all of the men using her wit against them in the plot. Unlike the poster before, the names are written smaller and are still readable but aren't as prominant.

The final poster that I shall be looking at is the one for the film This Gun For Hire. The most striking part of the poster is the female character positioned in the centre. Her natural and striking beauty fills the page (again like the last poster) showing her dominance over the other character in the poster. He is most likely a detective due to the gun, his expression isn't certain and there is a scared feel about his body language. For all three of the posters, they have been drawn as a cartoon type style and not a real life still of the characters. Also, all three of the posters have been in colour whereas the movies are all in black and white, these are all conventional elements of film noir posters.