Psycho Film Poster Analysis

When looking at the symbolic signifiers within the two film posters for Alfred Hitchcock’s ‘Pyscho’, there are many elements to discuss. One of which is how the advertiser uses an attractive woman to sell a product, and another is making her look weak. The woman, herself, may be used as a symbol. There will also be discussions with the use of colour in comparing two film posters for ‘Psycho’.

The first poster uses a woman featuring as, what the audience would decipher to be the protagonist, and makes her out to be vulnerable and weak. This is shown by her facial expression as being worried, this signifier shows that she is vulnerable. They use the fact that she is in her underwear to show this too, while this will also appeal to a man audience, this was most definitely apparent in the 60s, which is when this film was released. When applying this to Goffman’s theory it shows what impression and ideas people had of women and how women are used in films as the ‘damsel in distress’ stereotype.

The second point to make about this poster is its use of colour to show different sides to characters and also what danger they might be in. The main character is shown in the colour green, which can have negative connotations of greed, applying this to the title, this would be the most likely assumption made (this is true, after watching the film). However, there may also be an argument that it is about her being peaceful. The male character is shown with a red overlay, connoting danger and the title shows a broken, bold word of ‘PSYCHO’ in yellow, which has connotations of hazards and danger too. The actors and people involved in the film making is all in blue, to apply this to the film, this was probably to connote a sense of coldness that Hitchcock would create.

This poster relies on famous names, such as the director Alfred Hitchcock and the actors within it to sell the product. With Hitchcock being one of the biggest names in cinema and directing at the time, this was a clever marketing technique to sell the product and make it appeal to audiences.

Comparing this to another poster, this one does not rely on any names other than the title to sell the product. That is because this poster is presumably newer, by which point people are a lot more familiar with the storytelling within ‘Psycho’.

This poster does a good job in creating a sense of danger and suspense for the audience, which would make them more likely to go and watch the film. There is a lot of ambiguity, with a two strangers, a woman at the forefront (connoting she is the protagonist) with a male shown smaller over her shoulder. Their expressions are quite vacant and there is very little to make of the setting of the house with a car beneath either.

However, there is something to be said about the title. The title does a good job in creating a sense of danger. Firstly, it is in bold and therefore more menacing and overbearing compared to the rest of the imagery on the poster. Plus, it is split in two, cut, (just like the post in the first poster shown), this creates the idea that someone may get hurt. Finally, whole title is in red, which connotes, when looking negatively, danger and injury, violence and aggression.

Comparing the two posters, in the modern day, the presumption would be that the second poster would be more effective, as it is more artistic, whereas the other is quite outdated and sexualises a woman simply to captivate an audience, in today’s society that would not be welcomed. However, the first poster shown, would be more effective in the 60s, which is when both that poster and the film came out (September 1960). It establishes the name Hitchcock, to gather an audience, has a bold, single word, catchy title and a sexualised woman at the forefront – all of these would be great marketing strategies of that era in cinema.