Le Mépris
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| Poster Origin : | France |
| Poster Size : | French Affiche / 60 x 80cm |
| Poster Artist : | Georges Allard |
| Poster Year : | 1963 |
| Poster Version : | First Release |
| Film Origin : | France |
| Film Director : | Jean-Luc Godard |
| Film Year : | 1963 |
This image is neither nuanced nor layered with symbolism, it was simply designed to be one of the most seductive posters ever produced. It certainly was that, and more than 50 years later it still is. The sumptuous impressionistic portrait of Bardot is mesmerising; her eyes accentuated with heavy kohl are enlarged with vivid catchlights to give the fanciful, doll-like glaze. Her open, pouting lips seethe with suggestion and the sexual tension culminates with her revealing pose, a striptease paused before the payoff.
The red hand-drawn title compliments the image well, particularly the aqua backdrop, and the simple colour gradation from red to burgundy lifts it from the page. François Ganeau’s Vendôme font, the modern Old Face used here for the credits, was an icon of French graphics in the 50s and early 60s. It often appears on Allard and Cocinor posters, which wouldn’t be the same without it.