Sherlock Holmes - Poster Deconstruction

• Anchorage – ‘Nothing escapes him’. There to create intrigue amongst the audience. It aids the understanding of the picture as Holmes is the main focus, demonstrating him as the superior position in the film.
• The main figure photographically represented in this poster is Sherlock Holmes, with the blurred, frosted images of London city in the background, highlighting Holmes’ dominance in the city.
• The Big Ben and the Tower of London lie in the backdrop of the poster, which are iconic and traditional buildings of London City, informing the audience of where the story is set and what they are to expect – Connotations of London in the times Holmes is set bring connotations of dirty streets, the black market, theft and violence.
• The poster uses black, white and blue vivid colours, portraying an eerie tone. It gives a specific impression that the film was set in a grimy, crime ridden London. The different slant of the traditional narrative is shown by these dark, gloomy colours, and this could effectively be a persuasive technique.
• Holmes is represented as an intimidating character; however by focusing on his facial expressions. He shows slight humour and confidence; appealing to the audience.
• Robert Downey JR stands as a unique selling point, and the film company would have cast him to appeal to this particular target audience and his current fan base.