The Strangers is a 2008 American suspense-horror film written and directed by Bryan Bertino, and starring Liv Tyler, Scott Speedman. The film revolves around a young couple who are terrorized by three masked assailants, who break into the remote summer house at which they are staying and damage all means of escape. Main Picture:
The picture covers the whole poster and is of the main character inside the house. The mis en scene is connoting a domestic setting and it seems that this house is the home of a typical working class family. This setting has been chosen because the viewers can relate to the character in the film, therefore the target audience of the film would be people of a working class background. A lower class location has not been chosen because it shows that this could happen to anyone. In the background, the killer is standing there with a mask on, which clearly establishes the genre of the film. He is in the shadows which creates a sense of mystery as the viewer does not know who it is and they can just about see him. The shadows also show that he is a dangerous character and does not want to be seen. The fact that the character cannot see the killer emphasises her vulnerability as she has got no where to run. The lamps are on in the house which shows that it is a night time and this is a common convention in horror films. Around the edge of the poster, it is black and the picture is faded in the middle, showing what is happening.
The title of the film:
The title of the film is placed under the picture and it looks like it is illuminated to make it stand out. This shows up clearly against the background and above it are two of the the main characters names. If the viewer likes this actor and actress, they will want to see the film even more.
The release date and the website:
The release date is not shown on the poster which means that this poster was released months before the film came out. Therefore the audience would have to wait until the trailer came out to find out the release date. However, the website is shown at the bottom of the poster to let the viewer get more information about the film.
The Slogan:
The slogan of the film "we tell ourselves there's nothing to fear, but sometimes were wrong" is placed at the top of the poster so the viewer can clearly see it. This may be what the characters are thinking in the film, however it does not give too much of the storyline away and leaves them guessing what is going to go wrong.
The main credits:
These are placed at the bottom of the poster and it is a convention of any film poster, showing the producers, director and who is in the film.
You must integrate media terminology into your analysis. Consider CONNOTATION, MISE EN SCENE, TAG-LINE and COLOUR/TINT
ReplyDeleteIn terms of connotation, it seems the image for the poster is connoting a domestic setting, and it appears that this is the home of a typical working class/white collar family. Why have the film-makers chosen this type of setting, as opposed to a Gothic/castle/fantasy one, or alternatively, one that is set in an upper class/AB1 type of social setting? (Think: 'The Hamptons.) Further, it could have been a lower class ("trailer trash")location, but it isn't. Why? What does this suggest about the core target audience?