
Film posters are often dismissed and overlooked because they lack imagery, imagination, and attraction. It is absolutely vital for film posters to make the audience want to actually view the film. In order to advertise and market the film successfully, a lot of time and thought must go into the posters for these films to draw the potential audiences. That is, to sell the film in the best way possible, maximizing total viewers. And there are multiple things to consider when doing this. The film poster for the hit cinematic production, The Revenant, depicts a wide array of action and foreshadowing. There are multiple elements hidden in the poster that essentially point to the same idea, or theme. The poster can be broken down to the bare bone to reveal that the film must be an intense story with conflict and bloodshed.  

The word “revenant” refers to someone who returns, in particularly, from the dead. This particular title choice hits the nail on the head. It is short and simple, yet incredibly deep and mysterious, depending on how you look at it. Not only does this title add mystery and instill fear in the audience, but it forces the audience to wonder. The title encourages us to explore the possibilities, or altogether, the plot of the film. The fact that it is big and bold makes it stand out on the poster, foreshadowing that some character in the film will be making a reappearance, or a return. It obviously plays a significant role in the movie in one way or another, swaying the audience in uncertainty.

The film poster for The Revenant can be broken down into different parts, each of them revealing a little piece of the movie on their own. Because words are limited on film posters, the ones actually included are usually very meaningful. Besides the title, this particular poster for The Revenant clearly states “inspired by true events” along the bottom. Whenever an audience knows that a film is based on an event that truly happened, they are more inclined to sit down and view the film. This is because they may be able to relate to it, or simply because it is more enticing. The other significant four words on this poster are the names of two very famous actors. Both Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hardy are admired worldwide; therefore, they attract even more of an audience. Famous actors and actresses are famous for a reason; it is because people like certain qualities about them. In addition, it is safe to say that they are excellent at what they do. Slapping big names on film posters undeniably increases attraction and interest from potential audiences, in turn, creating great advertisement for the film.

Imagery is another very important thing to consider when examining a film poster. Images can speak thousands of words, and that is the beauty behind them. In “The Revenant” poster, there are two bearded men gazing into the same direction. They have very stern looks on their faces, suggesting that they are after something, or that they have a particular motive which probably is not pleasurable. And why is that? The looks on their faces clearly suggest that something is wrong. If not, the actors would either be smiling, or look relatively happy at least. Facial expression can play a big role in determining the tone and emotion of an image. Underneath the focused faces of Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hardy, there are four men running in water. As depicted in the image, the setting is winter and it is obviously very cold due to the men’s clothing. The men are fleeting from something, and although it is not clear what that is, it is very clear that are in trouble. One of the men is injured, thrown over the shoulders of another. From this image, it is safe to say that there has been gunfire and combat. All of the men are carrying weapons, so the film definitely involves violence. 

One of the most evident things in this film poster of The Revenant is the streaks of red color thrown into the middle of it, in between the faces of the two bearded men. This red is the only colorful splash incorporated into the poster. Red can symbolize many positive things, including love, warmth, and courage; however, it is also a universal symbol of blood and fire. The film poster incorporates a small bit of the color red to let the audience know that blood will spill in the film. That is all that is known. From there, the audience must determine what it may mean. It could very well be foreshadowing of death, or it could be foreshadowing hatred and jealousy. 

The final aspect of the film poster that cannot go unforgotten is the use and effect of light. 

In The Revenant Poster, there really is no color. The two bearded men’s faces are very light in comparison to the rest of the poster. They are pretty much the same brightness as the snow in their beards, as well as the chunks of ice in the background on the bottom of the poster. The white coloring in the poster is used to illustrate the cold, winter setting of the film. The film must take place in a very frigid place, one requiring heavy duty clothing. Personally, I believe the particular lighting used in the poster is extremely appealing to the eye. If a darker background was chosen, it would not have the same snowy appearance and effect. Another something that stands out is the top of the two men’s faces. Their foreheads are cut off by a very light background. If you look closely, it looks like their foreheads have ragged cuts in them. This technique made possible by light could also be interpreted as foreshadowing. It could foreshadow perhaps an attack of some kind, in which someone gets injured or mauled. 

Using multiple different elements, the film poster for The Revenant creates a very strong central argument. The argument, of course, is up to each individual’s interpretation. Many emotions can derive from this one single image. Aside from being anything close to an iconic poster recognized worldwide, it is still a very memorable poster that truly says a lot. It mainly appeals to pathos and logos, or emotion and logic. Everything about the poster pertains to emotion. The way the two bearded men are gazing at the audience instills a sense of discomfort. Also, the men running, carrying weapons on the bottom of the poster appeal to our sense of worry and fear. The poster is very logical because what is going on is realistic. There is no fantasy nor fiction being displayed anywhere on the poster. This is reinforced by the words “inspired by true events” along the bottom. In addition, it is logical because we know what the word revenant means. It is not foreign. The Revenant movie poster is certainly one to remember. Because it has so much going on, the image on the poster only scratches the surface of the film’s content. But, it gives an extraordinary preview. Audiences look at this poster, and they get excited for what is to come. And that alone is the purpose of its creation. 
