Film Poster Analysis

Columbiana

Columbiana is a 2011 French action film co-written and produced by Luc Besson and directed by Olivier Megaton. The film stars Zoe Saldana in the lead role with supporting roles performed by Michael Vartan, Cliff Curtis, Lennie James, Callum Blue, and Jordi Molla. 

It is clear that the film revolves around the main actress, Zoe Saldana as her name is the only one featured on the film poster. However the title of the movie is larger and bolder therefore has unequal billing compared to the actresses name, indicating that the title of the film is significantly more important. The title also suggests the location of where the film is based this actually being in columbiana. This links to the background ever so faintly layered over the women which gives the audience a sense of location so that they feel as if they can be in her situation and culture during the movie. 

The women is made out to be larger and takes the main focus of the poster as she fills most of the frame of the poster, which gives the interpretation that she is Zoe Saldana. The gun relates to connotations such as danger, violence and excitement therefore linking to the genre of an action film. The poster is almost designed to be aged and rusted which links to the dirty living circumstances of the place Columbiana. The women in the poster is extremely larger than the buildings which is a juxtaposition as the audience know that there is no realistic possibility of this being exact, the institution has done this to isolate her but to also make it looks as if she is looking down at the view that surrounds her and it also plays with the status, as she appears intimidating to the audience which only emphasizes the danger of her character that she plays. Her facial expressions and dark shadows on her face express sadness which links and emphasizes the quote on the poster 'revenge is beautiful' meaning that she is seeking revenge for herself or for someone else but because she has the gun we initially suspect she would be the one to do the dangerous acts of violence that the genre of an action film like this entails. Zoe Saldana is a famous A list star, which is the main reason they have put her above the film title because she is a key selling point of the film. The director's name is included but like the institution it is smaller and not as established because it is not a major selling point of the film. The mid shot of the poster allows the audience to grasp the detail of the actress and her facial expressions but to also be drawn in by the location and involvement it gives the audience. The institutional information is produced in small print as it is not a selling point of the film as many members of the audience want to see excitement visually in a poster, not to read off of the poster.