Death Wish is a poster that is clearly designed to inform people that this new film is coming out. There is also a hint that the target audience would be male and probably adult as well.
The poster is in black and white, and sticks to a simple but impactful design. We know it is to inform people of the film coming out as it mentions NOVEMBER at the bottom of the poster. This stands out from the rest of the information (production and actors) that surrounds it as it is in a bigger and bolder font. The November release date suggests that this either being released as part of the Halloween market – and could have some horror elements to it – or that it is part of the winter releases and is setting itself up for award nominations (Award season follows in Jan/Feb) or simply wants to make lots of money from the Christmas boom in cinema ticket sales as people treat themselves to the cinema for Christmas.
The film is called Death Wish, which gives it a cold atmosphere already. The film is clearly associated with death and killing from the use of ‘death’ in its title. There is also blood dripping off the final letter, which emphasises the idea of death in this film. The phrase ‘death wish’ is one that is used often to suggest someone taking risks so we can assume there will be some risk-taking going on in the film. The title is also written in black capital letters which stand out starkly on the pure white background creating a massive contrast. The colour choice becomes apparent when we look at the tag line – ‘they came for his family now he’s coming for them’. There is a sense of justice being sought in this film, the protagonist of the film will be getting vengeance on his enemy. He clearly has a sense of right and wrong, and that could explain the black and white choice for the poster as white often symbolises innocence and black symbolises evil. What is interesting here though is that the main character is the one being depicted in black. Could he be the one doing the evil deeds and going too far in his quest for justice? This brings in an element of the enigma code as we want to know why his family was destroyed and what exactly he is doing in revenge. This all would appeal, particularly to a male audience, as males prefer violent films. It certainly suggests it would be a male audience as some of the violence appears as if it will be quite extreme.
There is also representation going on here as we can see the main character. He has been cleverly put in as the ‘I’ in ‘wish’. He is clearly going somewhere as his feet are moving him forward. His arms are out to the side making him seem big and imposing. It also suggests he is quite muscly and therefore would be able to defend himself in a fight. His hood is up which also suggests that he wants to hide his identity. As a murderer this would be important so the police can’t track him down. He appears to be wearing a leather jacket – typically associated with bad boys of bikers – and signalling to use that he has a hard edge to him. He also carries a chain in his right hand. We can assume this will be used as a weapon. It is a hand-to-hand, close combat choice of weapon which suggests he will be getting close to his victims in order to kill them. The chain also has connotations of brutality if used as a weapon. The deaths in this film will be painful and torturous. The protagonist wants his victims to feel pain.
Further down the page in the production section Bruce Willis is clearly labelled as the protagonist character. WE associate him with high-octane action films where there is violence and a fast paced plot. Those who like Bruce Willis will probably wish to come and see this film.
Overall the film poster clearly promotes the film release and is informing and captivating the target audience. The release date is prominently placed at the bottom of the poster. The black and white styling of the image puts across the serious and death-centred plot. The representation of the main character continues the violent undertones of the film. The mention of Bruce Willis also shows this would appeal to those who like fighting action films. Overall it is a strong attempt at attracting the right target audience of adult males for the film.
