RESEARCH AND PLANNING - Silence of the Lambs Poster Analysis

The Silence of the Lambs poster immediately draws attention to Jodie Foster, the character at the front of the cover. This is due to the smaller title/credits at the bottom of the poster which is likely to be intentional. (A thing to note is that there are a lot of subtleties to the image, not only generating interest, but also indicating the genre.)

The image of the character is in black and white, with a high contrasting red to create distinct points of interest. The use of the white face signifies purity and goodness. The darker background however suggests she has gotten herself into troublesome matters as one element of good is trapped in blackness. Jodie Foster's eyes are a dark blood-red signifying perhaps a grim storyline that is likely to be filled with bloodshed. The title is also in an orange-y red, again reinforcing the genre through the indication of blood. At the center of the poster is a brown moth to contrast against the purity of the main character. Looking deeper into the image of the moth, you can see a white skull, showing not only importance as a genre indicator but also relevance to the narrative if people chose to watch the film.

Although the poster gives indicators of the genre, it does challenge the typical conventions of a horror/thriller based narrative by displaying Jodie Foster as the main protagonist. This may be appealing to not only males, but possibly females too who wish to relate to the main character in her determination and strength of will.

Just above the title are the names of the actors who take part in the film. These names are tiny compared to the credits and title. This may not be due to the actors' status but in relation to the other words it could well mean the image is more important as it is the first detail that draws attention.

Overall, the contrasting colours of white, black and red signify good, evil and blood. The poster includes subtle hints including the conveniently placed moth over the main character to relate to the title. All of these represent the genre in one way or another and the person looking at the poster should have a clear sense of what the film may be like.

-Dale