Analysis of image
Contents
Introduction
The poster is appropriate not only per the roles played by the
actresses but their image or the personality that gives them a separate
recognition from the current female leads who act in the mainstream movies (Giannetti, 2002). They are not only different in the
regard that they are both comedians in an industry the role is dominated by
male performers but their star status also which makes them the highest paid
actresses in the industry. The poster is
not the typical imagery that one can relate to the girl power sensibilities of
the current trends in the society and thus was an appropriate depiction of the
movie which is centred on the two female lead actresses. The following analysis
is based on the depiction of the characters in the posters and their analysis
from the different aspects of the art.
Analysis
The following analysis follows the
structure that is specified in the guidelines for the assignment and follows
the four-frame analysis model. The art, artist, industry, and the audience are
the different perspectives that are considered in the analysis.
The art
The art is coloured brightly and in vibrant shades where
the fire arms and other weapons are abundant. This is based on the violence in
the contemporary society. The female leads Sandra bullock and Melisa McCarthy
take significantly larger space than the other characters in the poster which
emphasizes their important role in the movie. Not only the fire in the
background and the muzzle flash from the guns of the lead characters but the
police badge that is in the hand of Sandra bullock emphasizes
the active role
the law enforcement is taking in the controlling of the criminal elements in
the society. The other characters with weapons that are depicted in the poster
in smaller scale focus on the high level of opposition that is faced by the
actresses. The poster depicts only one other female that is dressed in the
traditional women’s garb and the position suggests the role of a subservient
female conforming to the social standards (Nathanson
& Young, 2001).
The manly and highly professional
clothes worn by the lead actresses focus on the equality of the women in all
sense along with their active role which is emphasised by the aggressive
posture of the characters in the poster. In addition, the burning buildings and
exploding cars that are the main theme of the poster based on the fire that is
synonymous with the movie title which is THE HEAT. The city skyline that is the
background of the poster is based on the overall place of the story defines the
location of the action and gives three-dimensional properties to the main
characters.
The artist
The artist in this case a clear
believer in the femininity’s potential to rival any male where as in the
society the current standards the violent and risky jobs are still allocated to
male characters. The depiction of the female leads with their hair unbound not
only emphasises on their femininity but also gives a projection against the
stereotyping of the females who are often given a masculine persona to match
with their masculine role in contemporary literature. In this case the
characters depicted in the poster are based on the real characters of the
actresses so the artist’s scope of depiction of the characters was limited. In
the basic sense the Sandra bullock is beautiful in the traditional sense of
beauty but the poster gives equal importance to the character of Mellissa McCarthy
who is in no sense beautiful by the traditional understanding of beauty but is
a charismatic and capable female which many female professionals in the male
dominated industries can relate with. Therefore, the artist used the
positioning of the characters and giving subtle touches to emphasise their
femininity and he also accented their looks to make them more suited to the hard-core
roles of law and enforcement agents. The set of their lips, jaws, and the
bright focused eyes of the main leads in the poster is a product of the
creativity of the artist to make the characters more suited to the scenario
that is depicted in the poster. The people from all races and ethnicities are
depicted in a smaller scale to the leads which emphasises the importance of their
role in movie and almost all the other people depicted in the movie poster are
male which represents the low number of female population in the more dangerous
professions (Pucci & Thompson, 2003).
The industry
The current industry trends usually
reflect the social scene of the location which is represented in the poster.
The rise of the female population as the equal of males in every aspect of the
society is one of the main topics of debate among the professionals in every
field and the feminists. Therefore, the emphasis of the female characters and
representation of the males being smaller than the actresses in the poster focus
on the rising importance of the females in the industry. Also, the film not
only focuses on the rise of the females as main attractions and in this case
the sole attractions of the movie. The depiction of the female leads as
professionals that do not conform to the general idea of femininity but
represent the part of the female population that can hand any role that was
previously reserved for the male persona. Therefore, the change in the industry
that is shifting from the male orientated action films or romances to films
where females can independently carry a story is emphasised in the poster.
The audience
The audience of the poster as said
before is not limited to certain age or gender of mentality. The poster is of a
comedy film but there is no indication of the comedy in the poster. Although
for the poster and the writings in the poster of the film are adjusted in the
colour shades and the depiction of the characters are moderated for attracting
a wide range of audience. The other aspect of the poster is the depiction of
violence in such a way that it is acceptable to a wide range of consumers which
is also another industry trend that is on the rise (Radner
& Stringer, 2011). The burning buildings and exploding cars are
indicators of an action-packed movie but in no way, it suggests that the film
might be unsuitable for certain audiences. Therefore, the poster represents the
suitability of the film for all audiences which are also supported by the
writing in the poster which is free of any graphic description or inappropriate
language.
Conclusion
The poster in other words is
appropriate for any movie where the role of the females was emphasised in a
professional without emphasising the atypical seductress or damsel in distress
that is equated with the female characters in the movies. The poster not only
emphasises the importance of the role of the female leads of the movie but also
gives indication of the movie being suitable for a vast range of audiences.