Promotions for an upcoming movie are so crucial, and the two biggest parts in the promotion provided to the general public are with the trailer and the movie poster. If done right, they will both give an accurate feel to what the movie will be like.
This is especially important with films that are part of a pre-existing franchise. Even looking back to the Star Wars prequel trilogy, or Christopher Nolan’sDark Knightseries, they had to exhibit a sort of respect to what came before, while highlighting why this one has its own style about it.
RELATED:The Batman 2: Who Is Clayface?
One of the more iconic examples of a movie poster done exceptionally in recent years is with Matt Reeve’sThe Batman. Batman’s franchise is especially fragile because while there have been absolute masterpieces of movies, there have been total flops, too. But the poster forThe Batmandid everything it needed to separate itself from the many other Batman films that already existed. And upon viewing the movie, it’s evident that the poster stood true to what the film was as a whole.
The Batman Movie Poster Copied Current Trends
As of late, movie posters tend to share many similarities, especially ones that are part of a franchise. It could’ve started with Star Wars or the MCU, but regardless,The Batmanmovie poster falls right into the same category as far as looks, structure, and purpose.
In the poster, the main characters that are necessary for the greater plot (excluding maybeCommissioner Gordon, who played a huge role) are at the top center of the poster. Batman, being the largest and most centered, is surrounded by The Riddler, Catwoman, andThe Penguin. On the bottom center, though, is Bruce Wayne, holding a brief case while walking away from the Batmobile.
Behind the people in the poster is the city of Gotham with flames emerging and a red-orange sky. This follows a lot of trends as well, as many current posters will not only show the people involved, but the setting. This is especially true with the Star Wars sequel trilogy, showing either stars from the galaxy or a specific planet in which a part of the movie takes place. But adding the fire and discolored sky to the backdrop of Gotham helps convey just how chaotic and dangerous this version of Batman truly is.
The Batman Movie Poster Still Managed to Evoke a Certain Mood
With the flames reflecting the main color sequence to the poster as a whole – in contrast to the dark clothing each character is wearing – the poster did an amazing job at conveying the type of Batman movie this version was going to be. The Riddler’s dangerously evil intentions are reflected by showing the city in flames (not to mention that by the end of the film, the city quite literally is engulfed in flames).
Not only that, but the biggest theme of the plot is the mystery;who is the Riddler?Why is he terrorizing the citizens? What is the Gotham City government and police department involved in that needs public exposure through such extreme methods? This idea is shown not only with the city burning (which would leave people wondering how and why the city is on fire), but the text shown on the poster.
The Riddler’s emblem – the question mark – is centered on the poster, covering Bruce Wayne. Throughout the movie, Falcone’s mob and the government are at the focal point of corruption. It’s eventually revealed that Bruce’s father, Thomas, sent a hit on a reporter who was going to reveal his wife Martha’s mental illness to the public in light of him running for office. This, in turn, calls on the integrity of not only Bruce, but Batman. His purpose in becoming the Batman was to continue his father’s legacy of fighting for the people and for justice. But the very ideals of Batman as a character are corrupted once he learns that his father was caught up in the very thing he is trying to fight against. Once that is discovered, the “Unmask the truth” caption at the top of the poster means so much more to the story. Not to mention, this rendition of the Batman is verycentered on him being a detective, working closely with Commissioner Gordon and deeply analyzing the Riddler’s crime scenes.
The Batman Movie Poster Should Inspire Other Superhero Poster Designs
Posters from the MCU and DC alike should take notes from whatThe Batmandid for their movie poster. It’s very minimal, including only what is necessary to convey what sort of film is to be expected. It gives viewers a peak at various aspects of the setting and characters; the duality of Batman and Bruce Wayne and the mystery behind the Wayne legacy, the chaotic nature of both The Riddler and Gotham, and, more practically,the darkness of the movie entirely, shown through the gloomy sky and, ironically, the contrasting flames. Other posters sometimes try to be too flashy, and have too much going on in the frame that people may not even notice certain aspects.The Batmanspeaks so much more by keeping it simple.
MORE:What Would A Superman Set In Matt Reeves’s Batman Universe Look Like?
