Poster Analysis
Poster analysis of “The imagination of Doctor Parnassus
1. The Genre of the text is a hybrid of Fantasy and romance. The Fantasy element is conveyed by the colours in certain parts of the text they are bright and standout, it creates and image of a different to the grey world the viewer id most likely in. the Bright colours counger images of other film such as the wizard of oz where the world turns from grey to coulorfull. The genre of romance is evident with the two characters at the top of the picture they are close and looking at each other, Heath ledger is toughing the woman denoting that they are lovers. There is also a theme of adventure in the text as in the centre there appears to be a road leading to the framed colourful world, again this is similar to film such as the wizard of oz, a path leading to an fantasy world. There is also the idea of an ensemble piece there arte many names of famous actors at the top denoting a lot of characters. As well as this at the bottom of the poster there are many faces showing these many characters
2. The purpose of the text is to inform and persuade
It informs the viewer by telling them the Title first and foremost as well as information such as the production companies involved, unusually however this poster has no indication when the film is to be release, this would prompt the viewer to go and find out more about the text and from an institutional point of view means more interest in websites generating more money. Also it lists a lot of the actors informing the viewer of the talent on offer this intern persuades them to see the film m as they may be a fan of one or more of the actors. There is a similar idea with informing the viewer of the director, Terry Gilliam enticing fans of his work and people who will have heard of him through the grape vine so to speak.
3.
The fact that the couple are at the top of the poster connotes that they are important in the story and are the main protagonists. Also the slight low angle connotes that they know something the audience don’t and that they are powerful in the film. There clothes are of a similar fashion to one another suggesting they are both of the same “people” this also suggests that they are not pulled apart and there is no major struggle to get together.
The font of the title is in the style of an old circus suggesting that there is an element of travelling show in the text. It is also serif connoting an old fashioned style and that the film is set in some fantasy of the past. There is an image of what appears to be a road but is made of black and white check, this adds to the feeling of surrealism, this appears to be moving, heading towards the world in the frame. This world is surrounded by a gold old fashioned fancy frame connoting again old fashioned ideas also it surrounding a surreal world reinforces the idea of a twisted imagination of history. This is reinforced by the title including imagination, which has connotations of dreams and fantasy, blatantly backed up by the colours and images of the world inside the frame.
In the text there is an idea of journeying from reality to fantasy, this is first conveyed by the title “The Imagination of Doctor Parnassus” Immediately this gives the idea of imagination and fantasy firstly through the word imagination and secondly the doctors mane which has the brings to mind the ideas of fantasy as it is not a real name. This meaning is anchored by the road and the appearance of moving towards the fantasy world, this is emphasised by the greyness of the surrounding poster. This connotes that there is a want to escape in the film as the idea of imagination is anchored by the idea of escapism created by the road and the moving towards the fantasy world.