COMPONENT 1 SECTION A EXAM PREP: ML

'ALL THE FINE YOUNG CANNIBALS'

FILM POSTER ANALYSIS EXAM PREP

Media language is used within this film poster to communicate meaning through the use of technical and visual codes along with language and narrative.

Barthes semiotics can be applied as we identify the signs and decode them; The use of red for the actors credit connotes love and romance which reflects the foreground image of a couple kissing, however, red also connotes danger also reflected in the background image where we see a females aggressive body gesture towards the male figure. The fact that the poster is in colour suggests that it is modernised. The serif font creates a serious tone and may reflect the romantic genre of the film. We see a couple kissing in the foreground image suggesting that the most important theme within the film is romance and adoration- with the underlying topic of violence towards men, which could reflect the social context that male abuse was rare or unspoken of.

Through visual codes such as gestures/body language, Roland Barthes Hermeneutic code can be applied as suspense and enigma is created through the connoted relationship in the foreground image. The female wearing black clothing also connotes mystery linking to the suspicion between the relationships shown. Dress code also establishes a binary opposition (Levi-Strauss) between the two women- in the foreground image her dress code conforms to stereotypical depictions of women in the 60’s with her beauty and revealing clothing in comparison to the fully covered female in the background although her hourglass figure is accentuated. Within this film poster, females are placed in a dominant position not only in gesture code but also the layout of the poster, if we apply the rule of thirds to the poster, the foreground male is cut off the side so the female is centred on the page. We also see the female actresses name coming before the males- subverting the ideology that women were of a lesser position than men. 

It can be argued that the film poster uses hyperbole-comparing humans to “cannibals” as the word associates with animalistic behaviour and using it within the context of love and relationships can exaggerate feelings. There is formal language and a formal mode of address, however there is an indirect mode of address as there is a lack of direct stares towards audience and majority of the characters body gestures face away from the audience when looking at the film poster. Due to the nature of the print, there is little text or captions to accompany the images. 

This film poster follows typical conventions of a romance film through factors such as the passionate body gestures in main images, the use of the colour red and serif font. This can be linked to Neale’s genre theory stating that repetition can establish a genre as the above conventions are repeated in majority of the genres film posters. 

The narrative of a love story can be seen once again through the gesture codes and the genre conventions mentioned before while exploring the themes of violence within relationships also through the use of gesture codes. There is a lack of captions leading to a lack of enigma outside of the main images we see. Todorov's narrative theory can be applied as the film poster could perhaps highlight the key features/progression points of the narrative- it could suggest that the background image is the disrupted equilibrium and that the foreground image is the restoration.

'OMO'

ADVERT ANALYSIS

Roland Barthes theory of semiotics can be applied, the colour yellow has positive connotations such as brightness- this can reflect the word "brightness" on the poster. The colour red is used to bring emphasis on the word "NOW" and "brightness" highlighting the positive features of the cleaning product. The serif font reflects a formal and factual tone. The use of bright colours places the audience with positive connotations towards the product. When the rule of thirds is applied, the placement of the product falls into its own third suggesting that it is important and dominant.

In terms of visual codes, the female figure is fully dressed with an apron on suggesting she is domestic and obedient through her modest clothing. The figure shows positive gesture codes such as smiling and is standing in an open arm positioning- standing with her arms on her hips. Placing the woman next to the washing machine may reflect the social context that it was a shared belief that women were restricted to domestic tasks such as cooking and cleaning. The female figure shows iconography of the 50’s such as the pinned curls in her hair and being swept away from her face, the figure is also seen to be wearing makeup suggesting that beauty and looks was equally important than hard work. Levi Strauss’ binary opposition can be applied as her makeup suggests glamour which contrasts with doing domestic work.

The word “thousands” highlight the success and popularity of the product also by stating their success we can suggest that they are opinion leaders within their market. The capitalisation of the word “NOW” suggests its importance and that there is finally a solution to the problem. There is an informal mode of address in terms of language however it can be argued that due to the woman’s gesture codes, there is a direct mode of address as her body direction is headed towards the audience and not facing the side also as if the woman is looking directly at the audience.

As the audience sees the female figure dressed modestly with an apron over her- we can establish the genre of the printed advert- understanding that it is a 50’s advert and reflecting the ideology that women were in an inferior position. Neale’s genre theory can be applied as the repeated use of women presented as domestic perfection establishes a genre that is recognisable to everyone.

Todorov’s theory of narratology can be applied to this printed advert, there could be an implicit narrative depicted in this print as seen through the language and visual codes mentioned above such as the word ‘NOW’ suggesting there is a long awaited solution for a troubling problem/issue. Although there is no established initial equilibrium we can suggest that OMO is now the solution.