Sunday, 17 November 2013

Casino Royale poster analysis


Casino Royale:

Positions and Clothing:
A theme of sophistication and wealth runs through the poster. James is wearing a clean cut suit yet the buttons and tie are undone; this somehow provides a rebellious attitude to his outfit. This is emphasised again with the wind effect; his clothes are clean, yet there are still small imperfections. This could also relate to his duty as an agent; how he must disguise his identity, appear to be a wealthy, charming man yet he hides the dirty work that goes on behind the scenes.

This idea of hiding can also be demonstrates as his jacket hangs slightly over his gun. There is no emphasis on the gun, nor is it in the eye line of the woman. It is kept away as method of defending who he really is underneath. But James is wise; the gun is only used when necessary. But often, he wants to put up a front as the hero within the drama.

The woman wears a long black dress, somewhat mimicking the shades in James’ clothing. Black resembles class, mystery or death therefore this could reflect upon their personalities. The woman shows little sign of movement, she just stands there watching. This could highlight the fact that James rejects the woman, or is it that she’s haunting the back of his mind. Either way, the angle that she’s placed shows that she is of little interest and instead James concentrates on his duty more than pleasure. Yet her size in the poster could also reflect on her fragility within such an intense and dramatic affair- that only the men could defend and protect. In addition, the black dress is very figure hugging therefore revealing her shape. This supports the beauty of women or to reflect a sex appeal within the poster and the story.

Lighting:
A soft light is used within the setting of the poster. The light is more intense near the top which highlights and supports James’ identity as the hero in the tale. In comparison with the woman, she is shrouded in a misty, less intense lighting. This makes her appear rather spooky or less focused compared to James, therefore she’s unimportant to his role as an agent. The lighting also emphasises the text ‘Casino Royale’ behind James. This supports the location and how James’ life often entails a lot of gambles and risks.


The lighting provides a blue hue which could support the time of day, or the mysterious atmosphere of the poster. The blue also further emphasises James’ blue eyes which is an iconic quality to his image.

Title layout and language:
The title ‘Casino Royale’ fits with the house colours of white, black and blue. The intense white and the wisps coming off the text provide mystery and movement. This could reflect on the idea of ghosts, spirits or disorder. But it could also give a holy sense, especially with the extra emphasis on the ‘007’, as if to give an angelic quality to James’ role.

Of course the ‘007’ is an icon for the film, so slotting it into the logo not only makes the logo more interesting, but appears as if agent 007 is a gambler and a risk taker himself.

The phrase ‘Casino Royale’ refers to the casino -a place of gambling and money- and Royale which could refer to royalty or a king. In this way, by linking with James Bond, he is a gambling king.

Setting and layout:
The poster is set at an entrance to a casino. James is walking down the stair case towards the camera therefore his is turning away from the set. Compared to the woman the temptation to enter is less likely, this highlights the weaknesses of a woman.

The stair case also deciphers the angle of the poster- a slight low angle shot. This supports the heroism of James and his strength in presence. The woman on the other hand is further away but you can see her from her from head to toe. This again reflects on the beauty of a woman. Additionally her shadow casts towards James’ direction therefore giving them a somewhat underline connection. However, shadows often resemble a spooky presence or something that’s hidden from sight, therefore this could resemble the woman’s role in the story.

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