Chinatown
| |
|---|
| Poster Origin : | Germany |
| Poster Size : | German A1 / 594 x 841mm |
| Poster Artist : | Richard Amsel |
| Poster Year : | 1974 |
| Poster Version : | First Release |
| Film Origin : | United States |
| Film Director : | Roman Polanski |
| Film Year : | 1974 |
The German poster by Richard Amsel takes a more businesslike approach, compared with Jim Pearsall’s Art Nouveau-inspired US poster for the same film.
An interesting observation of these two examples is how they converge upon the same creative concept; they both expressly represent the character of Evelyn as a ghostly entity, a transient, wistful apparition in Jake’s cigarette smoke.
Under Amsel she brandishes a pistol while Pearsall’s Evelyn takes on a Medusa-like appearance; both versions clearly allude to the implicit danger she presents, the classic noir femme fatale.
With a film so rich in allegory and symbolism it is easy to imagine that such a motif was waiting, wanting to be found. Perhaps one artist was influenced by the other, or perhaps coincidences are possible when great minds think alike.