Extention Task

Costume: The costume used in this poster is Di Niro is wearing a normal shirt but is also wearing a red headband. The red head-band connotes danger. This can suggest things such as he's being forced to put the gun on his head by another person. The whole poster is in black and white except that red headband which signifies its importance to the film.

Lighting: The poster uses low-key lighting. This connotes that the film is a serious film and aimed at older people rather than younger people as the colours used aren't that bright. There is also a contrast between him holding the gun and the other side of his face; the left side is shadowed, however the side holding the gun has a high contrast connoting the importance of the gun.

Actor/Actresses: The main actor is Robert Di Niro. He is the main person on the poster. The film came out around when Di Niro had just become a huge actor. He had been in movies such as Taxi Driver, Godfather 2 etc. This meant that they used his face from the other actors as he was the most famous from the other actors. There is a link in terms of audiences between Taxi Driver and Deer Hunter as they focused on mature adults and this poster is in a way targeted at them as well.

Make-Up: There is dirt smudged across his face. To his left there are wounds as well. This connote that the film has a bit of action in the film. They help connote that he was in a battle and also help with the idea that he's in danger as he's holding the gun to his face. It can also show that he was in war as Vietnamese soldiers often made their prisoners wear red headbands (as in the actual film)

Props: The main prop is the gun. He is pointing the gun at his head which connote suicide. You would assume that he wanted to kill himself so aims the gun at his own head. This connotes that he's in a terrible environment and he wants to escape. However if you closely observe the gun you can tell he points it at a slant which connotes hesitation. This links in with the theory that someone is making him do it. The prop is used as a shock tactic to make people want to check the film out.

Setting: There isn't a setting in the poster. All you see is a black background which connotes that it's a thriller and has a serious theme.

Target Audience: The audiences for this film would be adults. We can tell this straight away from the sophisticated look of the poster. It's in black and white, and won't grab the attention of young people. It would also be aimed at middle/upper class audiences as it's a more serious and double sided poster. The prop used also shows how it's a mature film; however it will grab the attention of some of the younger audiences.

Genre: The film looks to be a thriller. We can tell this by how the lighting is used. It’s low-key and black and white which shows is a much more serious movie. The gun connotes the action code for the poster and shows that there could be some action in the film from also the mud on his face. There are also some hints that it’s a psychological thriller as he points the gun to his head which may raise some moral issues

Typography: The title is ambiguous. “The Deer Hunter” connotes that he could be the deer hunter. It connotes that he’s an average man. This goes against your expectations of the film as he is portrays as a man who has been in action and wants to kill himself to a normal man. It makes the film more intriguing to go and watch it.