Dominica McNair
Collage writing II
Dr. Wielgos
13 February 2014
Death within Hitchcock’s Movie Posters
Why do all three movie posters by Alford Hitchcock’s display death? Though a rhetorical analysis of the posters, I argue that the author wants us to know what the woman in the story has yet to know, almost a sense of irony. They display the women as dumb and gullible throughout the posters, hypnotized by the man’s love. These movies where all made by the same author, Alford Hitchcock. This poster asks viewers to keep an open eye for what has yet to come throughout the movie, which seems like a good strategy for getting people interested in seeing the movie. It gives the audience a since of power, knowing information, the main character doesn’t know. Vertigo was made in 1958. The story was actually based on a 1954 novel D’entre les morts by Boileau-Narcejac.
The three movie posters I analyzed were:
Vertigo from Japan
Vertigo from Italy
Vertigo from Poland
The author is trying to not only inform the audience but set up a connection within them, creating teamwork, figure out what is coming when watching the film vertigo. The author demonstrates credibility because he goes into detail about why the movie posters were made the way that they were. He also produces an argument for why the posters are made the way they are. After viewing Veritgo by Hitchcock from Italy and Japan I not only see that love can blind us, but am convinced that men are the mentors.
Through all three of the movie posters, Hitchcock uses a great amount of pathos. He continues to express emotion within the characters face in the posters. In both vertigo from Italy and Japan, Hitchcock uses lust shared between the two main characters on the poster to show the relationship the two have. By having he man and women on both covers interact in such manner, infers that there is strong desire within either, making the audience under the impression, that they are in love. In the vertigo by Hitchcock from Poland, the author uses a picture of a skull to infer death, giving off the emotion of fear. I do believe that most guys are evil; though don’t agree with what is portrayed, with the women being gullible and not suspicious to the man’s unreliable work
Hitchcock purposely conveys manly power and mystery of death throughout these posters to attract all genders. What I found interesting throughout analyzing all three of the vertigo posters was, the placement in which Hitchcock choose to have his illustrations posted. In Vertigo from Japan, He purposely has the couple enlarged and center, making it the audience’s main focus. By drawing the audience to the interacting couple, he is vividly expressing the importance of the “happy” connection between the two. Then with observing more, you come across the tiny couple who seem to convedeath and harm. We as the audience can infer the film is going to be a romance with a twist. When looking at vertigo from Italy the happy couple seems smaller, making the audience feel that it is less of importance. The bigger picture is of the man who reviles darkness, and evil. This poster has the perception of a horror film, with a evil man who also has a romantic relationship with another character. The last Vertigo poster from Poland has no couple, nor does it have an evil man. It specifically has a skeleton, symbolizing death. As the audience, we view this to be a horror film. It amazes me on how important the structure and pictures on a poster are, when it comes to describing the film.
I will analyze each of these posters individually in the order they were presented to support my argument.
"Japan". Every Collection compose. Design advocate. Frances Wysocki & Dennis. 246. Print.
The Vertigo by Alford Hitchcock in Japan poster has the movie title at the bottom of the page, in large Japan lettering portrayed against a black background, posted in bright color lettering to catch the eye. What we see next, centered and clear is a middle-aged man kissing a blond headed classy woman. She is dressed in a fancy office suit, wearing white gloves and a pin placed on her collar. Although the cover does not say they have a romantic interest with in either, the picture conveys their passion shared between them. Bellow the people, on the bottom half, the poster is painted black, and symbolizing that nothing else matters when they are together. They seem to be the main focus of the movie. At the top of the poster you see a large body of water with a huge red bridge. Above the bridge is a whole world. There are green hills with beautiful blue sky’s that go on forever. Below the bridge from a far, you see a man carrying a woman, who seems to be dead, or not conscious. His face is not expressed with fear, nor does the man seem worried not one bit. She is dressed in a black gown, symbolizing death. We can infer that these people from a distance are the same people up close. Conveying the actions being acted upon, the man seems evil and the girl is simply blinded by love. Because the main scene of the poster is a man and a women kissing, spills the information that the movie is going to be a romantic film. The poster makes it look as though we the audience, are focused on the love and happiness shared between the two people. The couple is off in a distance reviling what has yet to come. The design of the poster shapes the audience then, as another potential suspect, someone who sees what is coming up in the film.
"Italy". Every Collection compose. Design advocate. Frances Wysocki & Dennis. 246. Print.
The poster for Vertigo, also by Alford Hitchcock, from Italy has a similar visual composition to the poster for Vertigo from Japan. Mainly being they are indeed the same movie. The title is in the center of the poster, displaying in bright yellow block letters, jumping off a black surface. Above is again, a man and women both clothed in dressy attire, symbolizing the time of the movie. Although the woman is “hushing” then man, the man is looking back seductively. The man is looking into the women’s eyes and obeying her wish of silence. To the left of the poster is a picture of a man up close and in detail, only showing half the man’s face. We can infer that the man up close is the same man in the picture with the women. The man is presented in the color red, symbolizing blood and fear. The red and black picture sends the audience a scare. Like Vertigo, the poster from Japan, are both covered red in dark colors. This poster also conveys the visual composition that the woman has news coming for her. Noticing the man in the red is behind her, making it seems obvious the women has no idea what is in store for her. It is almost a form of saying she doesn’t know what he does behind her back. Vertigo from Italy turns the tables on the previous poster, conveying fear but not quiet death, showing within the male character. We as the audience, again see two sides the man will have during the film. We are informed that this will not only be a romance but also a shocking, scary film that ends with a twist of horror.
"Poland". Every Collection compose. Design advocate. Frances Wysocki & Dennis. 246. Print.
Vertigo, by Alford Hitchcock, from Poland is portrayed in a cream color. In the center of the page is a huge human skull. The skull is also in black contrasting the cream color. The skulls brain seems to be the darkest area on the skull, representing not much activity going through the head. In the center of the skull’s head is three brightly colored rings. They convey a target bull’s eye almost representing that someone has made that person their target and wants to get into their head. The title is located in the skulls mouth, in black writing. This movie poster shows the audience death does occur during this film. Being the audience we can now expect someone to die during the movie. The author’s name is at the top of the page written in the largest text on the whole poster, represents how important the author is. By people recognizing the author if they are an important person, gets the audience more interested in seeing the film. This poster deals with a lot of ethos. By placing the authors name in the skull’s mouth, gives the author credibility and importance of recognition to who made the film.
In perusing these three movie posters, I believe that it correctly depicts what it is like to be blinded by love. The visual composition of the posters all position the give off a mysterious twist that will occur during the movie. The designers of the poster probably did this to not only attract women, but to also attract men to seeing the film. The author, by creating the visual pictures gave the audience a since of power. This gets us emotionally involved with the movie because we feel that we must find out what happens within the film. The evilness in the movie is portrayed as the man. The audience is therefore asked to imagine themselves as men, even if they’re not. As a woman, this poster is a sense of degradation. Not only are they not the ones in control or power, they are portrayed as blinded, and dumb. There is less text than pictures in the poster, but all the pictures speak louder than the text.
Work Cited
Wysocki, Anne Frances , Dennis A. Lynch. 2013. Compose design adcocate. Second edition.
Boston,2013. Pearson
"Japan". Every Collection compose. Design advocate. Frances Wysocki & Dennis. 246. Print.
"Italy". Every Collection compose. Design advocate. Frances Wysocki & Dennis. 246. Print.
"Poland".Every Collection compose. Design advocate. Frances Wysocki & Dennis. 246. Print.
