My analysis of the film Poster for 'Thor', analysed for my A2 Media Studies course.

1. Film Poster Analysis – Thor
By Shannon House

2. The main image is of the protagonist, Thor, just after
he has landed on the ground. He is in a confident pose
that shows off his strength and power, indicating to
the viewer he is a dominant, tough character who is
not to be messed with. Thor holds Mjolnir (his
hammer) in his hand, and there is a bright light where
it touches the ground. This bright light symbolises
Mjolnir as an item of extreme power, which catches
the attention of the viewer and reels them in.
Additionally, the bright light could reference Mjolnir
being forged in the heart of a dying star, which fans of
the Thor comics would know and recognise. This
subtle yet strong iconography catches the attention of
the Marvel comic book fans, who are largely Marvel’s
target audience.

3. To be sure to catch the viewer’s attention, Marvel
have made the background around the main image
blue, which means Thor’s red cape leaps out at the
viewer. This draws the viewer’s attention to the
main image before anything else, which, above all,
is what Marvel wants. In addition to this, red can
connote anger, which could subliminally suggest to
the viewer that Thor can be angry and aggressive,
which could elude to plot points in the film.
The bright white lights in the poster could also
connote lightning, which is a reference to Thor
being the God of Thunder, which both fans of the
comics and fans of Norse mythology would pick
up on.

4. The background around the main image is
mostly dark blue and grey, with smashed rocks
being thrown up around Thor. This further
enforces the idea of Thor being a strong,
powerful protagonist, as he has the power to
break rocks. Additionally, Thor is framed by the
white lights that divide up the background
images of the top half and the rocks, which
draws the viewer’s attention to the main image
and ensures he is still the main focus.
The main image is in the middle section of the
poster, with Thor’s head being almost in the
centre. This ensures the viewer is focused on the
protagonist.

5. The top third of the poster is filled with pictures of other
important characters, (from left to right) Jane Foster, Loki,
Odin and Heimdall. This immediately tells the viewer that
these characters are all important to the plot of the film.
Four out of the five characters pictured use a direct address,
which targets the viewer specifically and helps draw in the
audience. Additionally, the characters’ eyes are all the most
brightly coloured parts of the images, which also helps to
draw in the viewer and grabs their attention.
In addition to this, the use of multiple well-known actors
([left to right, top to bottom] Natalie Portman, Tom
Hiddleston, Anthony Hopkins, Idris Elba and Chris
Hemsworth) on the poster helps draw in viewers who may
not necessarily look at the film poster otherwise.

6. The main title looks like it is written in metal, which could
link to Mjolnir and connotes strength. Additionally, the red
glow around the title echoes the red cape around Thor, and
it helps to draw the attention to the title instead of the rest
of the text on the poster.
The poster features two taglines – one at the top of the
poster and one underneath the title. The one at the top of
the poster says “from the studio that brought you ‘Iron
Man’”, which helps appeal to the target audience, as ‘Iron
Man’ was a successful film closely linked to ‘Thor’.
Additionally, appealing to an established fan base can bring
in a larger audience for the film. The tagline underneath the
title says “courage is immortal”. As it is positioned directly
underneath the title, it is likely to be read straight after the
title. Because of this, the viewer automatically relates the
tagline to the protagonist, making him appear powerful and
brave.

7. All the text on the page is written in capital letters, which
appears authoritative and dramatic. This subliminally gives the
viewer a feel for what the film is like. On the other hand, the
viewer could associate these traits with protagonist.
The credit block is very small in relation to the rest of the
poster so as not to draw attention away from the main image,
keeping the viewer’s focus on the important parts of the
poster. However, there are a few bits of the credit block that
Marvel want to be seen – the release date and the windows
of exhibition. The release date is in red to draw the attention
of the viewer and keeps with the theme of the poster,
although this poster just says “coming soon” as opposed to
an actual release date. In addition to this, the “IMAX 3D” is
bolded, which draws the viewer’s attention. This attracts a
wider audience as it’s a relatively new, exciting technology
and people want to experience what it’s like.