Amelie

Poster Analysis

The image
The main image on the poster is of the caf where Amelie works with a picture superimposed on top in a circle or what could represent the moon. They may have used both of these images to construct part of the narrative and so links can be made between the trailer and the poster to create an effective promotional package. The three colours running through the poster are various shades of blue, yellow and white. The paradigm of the various shades of dull blue and the image of the restaurant create a syntax of the romantic genre which is a clear link to the genre of the film. The yellow of the poster around Amelies head creates a kind of magical feel to it which also ties in to themes within the film.

Although the largest image is of the caf, Amelie is within a yellow moon like circle and so the audiences attention goes straight to her. By doing this they provide the audience with some narrative to who the main character is.
The colours of Amelies face also portray that the film is of an indie genre and also with the romantic connotations from the image it seems that the

The text

The stars names are positioned at the top of the posted which is a common convention. The two main characters are Audrey Tautou and Mathieu Kassovitz. This is significant as Audrey Tautau was already famous in France for her role on TV programmes and films but this was her first big debut on to international screens. By doing this they are not only providing a somewhat unknown actress with credits but means she can be identified by her fan base. The films title is Le Fabuleux Destin lAmelie Poulain. This is the only evidence on the whole poster that Amelie is a French foreign film. The title is written in a serif font and the letters almost flow in to each other. Again this has a very romantic feel to it which is reflective of the genre of the film and is also something that is conventionally targeted at women. It is written in the same colour as the moon around the picture of Amelie. This makes it really stand out and especially if this was on a bill board. It also adds to the overall effect of poster as the yellow seems to be a light on the dimly lit street adding to the Romantic conventions again.

Under the title of the film it says Un film de Jean-Pierre Jeunet. This is significant as he is now considered the biggest worldwide success of French cinema history. This then sets the film up with a certain reputation and standard.

The narrative
From Amelie being in the circle it is clear that the film feature a main

female protagonist. Her facial expression is almost mischievous looking and so gives the audience an insight into the personality of the character. You also get the feeling that Amelie has a simple taste from her simple hair and clothing and so the audience can denote that she may be less concerned about material wealth and more about living and helping others (as the plot suggests). The caf being a large image in the back ground also adds to the narrative as it shows that this plays an important scene within the film. The title being written in French also tells the audience that this is a foreign film and so certain cultural misen-scene would be expected. As I said earlier the dimly lit caf, cobbled streets, and the glow of the text are all a paradigms which create a romantic syntax and so allow the audience to understand the genre of the film.

The camera distance

On the picture of

Amelie the camera shot is a close up of her. This adds drama a mischievous drama and emotion to the poster when combined with her facial expression. There is also a long shot of the caf used to set the scene as only one character is shown this is importing

The lighting
Ambient lighting is used to

The layout

create atmosphere. Although the colour blue usually denotes cold its use here create a kind of cosy atmosphere as the yellow used through creates a warm feeling.

The text at the bottom has

been add without any attempt to blend in or to be in size relation with the rest of the image. This could be to attract the audiences eye straight to the word Amelie