Film Poster Analysis

Analysis for ‘Candy’ film poster

The film poster for the 2006 film ‘Candy’ uses Chiaroscuro lighting to add deep focus to the two only characters shown, which cover the whole of the poster. In terms of mise-en-scene, these two characters are the only people or objects visible to the audience, suggesting they are the focus of the entire film. The characters consist of a male and a female, holding hands and touching each other’s face, which shows the intimate relationship the characters have, they also share certain similarities such as their hair looking quite dishevelled and what appears to be gravitating behind them, suggesting the two are lying next to each other; another example of their closeness.

The female character on this poster looks to be smiling at the male character, however her eyes are very squinted and her mouth is very wide which indicates she is not only smiling but laughing. She also appears to be rather plain in terms of make-up as she doesn’t seem to be wearing much, and as stated previously her hair is dishevelled and somewhat wavy; suggesting to an audience that this character is not really ‘into’ looks and breaks the female stereotype. Although, she has light blonde hair which is seen as feminine and creates the stereotype ‘dumb blonde’ or ‘ditsy’.

This character also adds colour to this poster as she is wearing a low cut top which could be a dress, although the medium two shot of the assumed couple does not reveal anything below the chest. This piece of clothing consists of bright colours such as green, blue, red and yellow which when put together connotes happiness and fun. She is also wearing light pink nail polish which is also feminine and shows she has put some effort into her appearance.

The male character in this poster is wearing a light blue t-shirt which connotes neutrality and masculinity. He is also looking back at the female character with squinted, happy eyes and an open, smiling mouth which too, suggests he is laughing. Although his head is level with hers, creating equality between the two, he has his hand covering half of her face which gives him some power over her and shows that he is in control and holds more status on this poster.

His hair is brown and curly, although appears wet and so indicates to the audience that it is greasy and unkempt, similar to hers. Whereas the female character is plain, he on the other hand is wearing an earring and has a small tattoo on his neck which signifies rebellion and individuality.

The font used for this film poster is sans serif which is considered plain, although this contrasts with the bright coloured colours used for it; green, blue and pink which together connote happiness, however the title of the film, ‘Candy’ is in pink which suggests this film is feminine and so the film appeals to female audiences more than male.

This film poster does use conventions which follow the dramatic romance genre, by relying only on a picture of the two main characters, showing them lying next to each other closely which shows the close, intimate relationship they have. However, the poster fails to show the conventions of the dangerous lifestyles they have within the film, which involves drugs, drink, prostitution and mental instability.