The Last Exorcism Part 2 Poster Analysis

The Last Exorcism Part 2 Poster Analysis

Introduction

I will be analysing the poster for "The Last Exorcism Part 2" to identify which Horror and Possession conventions it uses and which ones it breaks and try to find the meaning behind every detail of the poster.

Poster Conventions

A lot of poster conventions can be seen including the main image, the title, a tagline, institutional information and a release date for the film.  By following these conventions the audience can easily identify that this piece of media is a poster.  Not only does the poster include common features of a poster, but it also presents to us a number of colour and layout conventions as well.  Dull colours like black, grey and white are used since they are conventional of the Horror genre.  Features of the poster are displayed in a very conventional layout, with the title, institutional information and the date present at the bottom of the page, the main image filling the frame and the tagline placed at the top of the page.  By using these poster conventions it allows the audience to easily identify that it is a poster promoting a Horror film.

Main Image

At the centre of the image and the frame is the main character levitating off of the ground with her arms stretched out wide, as if she is being crucified.  This ties into one of the main Possession film conventions which is the use of religious imagery, since we associate this body position with Jesus being crucified on a cross which is one of the most well known instances and stories of the Christian faith.  Particularly western people will understand this reference since Christianity is the leading religion in the United Kingdom, the United States of America and Italy.  Through this representation we can assume that the target audience for the film is a member of the western world.  The way religious imagery scares people in this poster is the fact that the demon inside of the character is making her perform this position, twisting the idea that religion is meant to be holy and free of evil.

-Setting

We are not given much information about the setting featured in the poster, however we can make assumptions based on two items within the frame.  The wooden floorboard suggests that the character is in a house or a lodge since these places tend to be the only places with floorboards.  Dust and paint on the floor connotes the idea of isolation, suggesting that the place has been abandoned since it hasn't been cleaned.  The wall behind the character is dirty and grimy, suggesting that this place wasn't looked after.  Dirt surrounding the edges of the wall represents the evil creeping in towards the character a the center of the frame.  Having the poster in black and white suggests to us that setting has some dark history surrounding it.

-Lighting

Judging from the shadow to the left of the main character, the lighting must be coming from the top right of the image, shining down onto the character in the centre of the frame.  Lights shining down from above represents heaven and holiness, suggesting a theme of religion and more specifically, Christianity.  Further supporting this theme is the shadow cast from the character which looks like a cross, a major Christian symbol that most western audiences will recognise. This is very conventional of a Possession film to feature religious imagery.  The character at the centre of the frame and she is well lit and easy to see, allowing us to clearly see who she is, what she is wearing and what her facial expression is.  Towards the edges of the poster the lighting becomes darker, representing evil closing in on the character.  It also directs the audience's attention to the female character since it the most well-lit feature of the poster.

-Mise-en-Scene

--Costume

White dresses are a symbol of innocence, purity and femininity; however the female shown in the poster suggests that these characteristics have been lost or tainted.  This is mainly due to the dirt on the dress and the style of the dress as well.  The dress is not revealing and is quite long, meaning she is not sexual-ised in any way which is a contrast to the female leads in other Horror sub-genres like Slasher.  Dirt on the dress represents the fact that her innocence and her purity has been lost or tainted because of the evil she is experiencing.  It creates a contrast to what a white dress actually symbolises, scaring the audience because their expectations are twisted and turned into evil.

A second piece of costume is used to tie into the most familiar Possession convention which is the use of religious imagery.  The character in the poster is wearing a rosary, a symbol of the Christian faith which is a popular faith in the western world, linking with the film's target audience.  This particular item suggests to us that she has not given up hope of defeating the evil fighting against her and that she can rely on her faith to be rid of the evil.

--Facial Expression / Body Language

Facial expression plays a major role in this poster, with the character looking up and screaming.  Screaming is a very conventional thing to see in a Horror text because it shows that the character is scared or is in pain, usually both.  When we see that the character is screaming, we assume that she is being scared or hurt by something that we cannot see, leading us to believe that she is possessed, letting the audience know that the poster is promoting a Possession film.  Having her eyes closed suggests that she does not want to see what the evil is doing to her or it could mean that she is closing her eyes in pain, further reinforcing the idea that she possessed.

Body language has been used very effectively to convey both genre conventions and the way the character feels.  In terms of genre conventions, we see the most common feature of a Possession film, the use of religious imagery.  We can see the character stretching her arms out, forming a position that resembles on of the most recognisable images in the Christian faith, Jesus on the cross; once again reinforcing the genre's conventions, making the film's genre easily identifiable by audiences.  Her head is bent backwards making her look up, suggesting that she is in pain or she is looking for some sort of hope.

--Colour

Only black and white are used within the poster and it used to give great impact for the audience.  The use of black and white suggests that what we are seeing in the poster has happened in the past.  This creates the fear of the unknown for the audience, since we do not know what dark secrets the past holds.  Colours become particularly grey around the character suggesting that her life, soul and innocence has been taken away from her and now she is just a lifeless shell to house the evil inside of her.

--Positioning

The character is placed in the centre of the frame to draw the audience's attention towards her. However she is raised slightly off of the ground, showing the audience that she is levitating, a common convention of the Horror genre, and a typical behaviour of a possessed human. Through this use of positioning the audience can easily identify that this trailer is promoting a Possession film.

Title

"The Last Exorcism Part 2" 

Tagline

"God asks. The Devil commands." clearly showcases conventions of the Possession sub-genre of Horror by tying in with religious beliefs.  This tagline suggests to the audience that the Devil is more forceful and powerful than God, making the audience fear for what the Devil will do next.  It also links in with the main image, telling us that it is the Devil that is controlling the main character.

Other Text

Other Colour

Conclusion