American History X poster Analysis

                                                                                                              

I am going to discuss what I think establishes the narrative and theme of this film by analysing the film poster for American History X. I have not yet seen the film which I feel will give me a broader, more open minded opinion of what the poster is displaying. I am going to discuss the text, colouring, expressions and layout of the piece.

The layout is not complex; the text is horizontally and vertically displayed and the main focus being on the two actors. It appears that the main print has been ripped to reveal the title of the film; American History X. This gives an edge and quickness to the poster, implying action. Two thirds of the poster is taken up by the two actors, who are the focal point. This annotes they’re the main characters of the film and play an important role.

Adding to the simplicity of the poster, only 3 colours are used; Black, White and Red. These colours are considered sophisticated, yet combine together to compliment the poster and meaning intended. The two actors are coloured red; in front of a black background. This causes the actors to stand out, again indicating their significance to the film. Red is also adapted to danger, passion, crime and order. All of these themes could add to the genre and narrative of the film. There is continuity in colour; implying a serious tone. The colour of the text stands out from its background, allowing it to be clear and simplistic for the audience to read.

It appears that the actor in front is wearing no shirt, this could simply indicate he has been to the gym; portraying him as a character with a fitness wellbeing. Showing bare muscles establishes power and strength, which could mean he is villan or heroic character. Also, the male behind embellishes this as he appears to have less significance. However, he is creeping from behind the man, which could imply that they’re involved with each other.

The expressions on both faces are serious; however have a different tone to each. The front standing male has a sense of pride to his expression, but also revenge. The male behind looks mysterious and sly, a slight contrast to the leading male. The expression gives a lot away, and already illustrates the narrative. The two males possibly have tension between each other, the man in font wanting revenge.

The text is in a simple font, however bold and clear. The main title is a much larger size, indicating it is clearly the title of the film. The font is similar to the font Impact, which is has a plain appearance. The creators used simple font and colour to create a serious yet edgy impression for the film, implicating the theme and genre. The X is in red, indicating a negative impression. The sub title “Some legacies. Must end” is in two different colours, this separates the phrase giving the impression it’s two different opinions and tension.

The impression I got from the poster as a whole is that there’s either tension between the two characters, or they are involved in certain unjust events together. However, it is a definite that the male in the foreground has a stronger significance than the male behind him. The fact that he is creeping from behind him gives the impression that he has this man in the back of his mind, however it is a bother to him.

In conclusion, I feel this film is an action film involving violence and passion for pride. The facial expressions of the actors construct a narrative of their own, allowing the audience to make their own mind up about what the film is about. The text is simplistic, however the colour makes the meaning clear of what it’s trying to establish.