This Dark Knight poster is appealing to the viewer because of a few key characteristics. The different components- both sets of text, the Joker, and the cityline in the background- are arranged in an organizational way that maximizes the poster’s impact. The name of the movie, the cityline, and “Why So Serious?” are all horizontal and off-center. It gives the poster a sense of repetition. The grouping of three horizontal paths in the poster adds the element of thirds which creates an interesting effect.
The font used for “Why So Serious?” was obviously picked to imitate blood, in keeping with the Joker’s role in the movie. Its Western style direction (left to right) leads directly to the “bloody smile” of the Joker, leading the viewer’s eye to the Joker’s out-of-focus face which is directly to the right of the bloody text. This creates an interesting sense of flow.
The red, bloody color stands out against the muted blues, grays, and charcoals of the faded background. The creator manipulated the background to create a foggy look, and the Joker himself is blurred (besides his hands, which are the only parts in focus) to create a more sinister feeling. His hands, which are writing in blood, are left in focus to suggest and highlight all of the evil acts his commits in the movie.
Overall I believe this poster is successful in conveying an intimidating image that sparks interest for The Dark Knight, all while being interesting and eye-pleasing to view.
