Shutter Island Poster Analysis

The title for the film ‘Shutter Island’ is easy to read due to the fact that it is in caps lock. The title is also coloured red which makes it stand out from the dark background. At first glance, the title and the picture are the first thing you notice, which is what was intended. The colour red is a very vibrant colour which is very attention-grabbing, red can represent many things, for instance, warning, fear or danger. Red is also the colour of blood which suggests that there will be a death in this film. The fact that this poster pretty much embodies fear and danger suggests that the film will be full of suspense and violence.
The main image portrays Leonardo DeCaprio, he is the protagonist of this film and the central character for the movie’s plot as the film is based on his experience on Shutter Island. The image is an extreme close up of his face which looks very dark and serious; however, he is holding a lit match. His facial expressions seem to be mysterious and he appears to be hiding from something and does not want to draw attention to himself, it could also be argued that he is looking for something, possibly clues and is using the match to try and find something. His expression is very serious and he is not looking directly towards the camera, instead he is looking towards to his left, not only does this make him appear more mysterious and possibly dangerous, but it also suggests that not only is he hiding, but he can see the thing or person he is trying to hide from giving it a sense of fear and danger.

The tone of this poster is very mysterious and sinister, this is emphasised by the dark colour scheme, the black and grey background creates an eerie representation of the movie which is the correct interpretation of this particular film. The mood of the film is very dark and mysterious, the characters appear very odd and the entire film appears to be hiding a dark secret which is not revealed until the end of the film as a plot twist. The image of the building located at the bottom of the poster looks very dark and sinister and does not look very attractive, instead it looks menacing and foreboding, the fact that it is surrounded by water suggests that there is no possible way of escape. The water appears to be thrashing against the island, and the currents appear to be strong, adding to the poster’s threatening illustration. The use of heavy rain also emphasises the poster’s murky theme as it all appears very dark and miserable which represents the island and the film as a whole.

The two images on this poster are separate; Leonardo is placed at the top of the poster whereas the image of the building is placed at the bottom. Both images look menacing and sinister due to the dark colours in both images. Despite their being two separate pictures, it is obvious that they are connected in some way, the fact that Leonardo’s image is above the image of the island suggest the plot is going to be based on his time on the island.
The slogan ‘Someone is missing’ adds to the poster’s already sinister depiction, I’ve already stated that Leonardo appears to be looking for something, the fact that the slogan is next to the image heavily suggests that Leonardo is some sort of detective and is looking for this missing person. The slogan emphasises the posters mysterious atmosphere whilst giving the audience a slight insight on the content of the film.

The use of the inclusion ‘OCTOBER’ at the bottom of the poster is emphasised by the use of the colour red, this allows it to stand out from the posters dark background, the fact that it is the same colour as the title helps emphasise it as important information. It tells readers when the film is being released in theatres but it does not give an exact date, this is to create hype with the fans as it keeps them waiting for more details. The fact that Leonardo’s name is in a bold white font appeals to the fans of his movie, many people will be interested in this movie for the lone reason that he is the main character in this film.

In my opinion, I think this poster is persuasive, the fact a close up of Leonardo DeCaprio is the main image will strongly appeal to those who are his fans of his other movies. The tone of this poster is very dark and is obviously a thriller, these type of movies have a big fan base and will greatly effectively result in sales.