Dracula Untold (2014) is a dark fantasy action film directed by Gary Shore, starring Luke Evans and Dominic Cooper. The production companies involved were Legendary Pictures and Michael De Luca Productions. It was distributed by Universal Pictures. It was released in the USA on 10 October 2014 with a budget of $70 million, generating $217.1 million at the box office.
Synopsis (from IMDB)
As his kingdom is being threatened by the Turks, young prince Vlad Tepes must become a monster feared by his own people in order to obtain the power needed to protect his own family, and the families of his kingdom.
Film Poster
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| Dracula Untold (2014) teaser poster |
Genre
The genre of the film is dark fantasy. There are various ways in which this is conveyed through the poster. The setting with the rubble and costume of the main character (presumably the protagonist) suggest this.
Image, characterisation and colour
The main image is of a powerful man who is presumably the protagonist. The fact that he is at the front of the image suggests that he is a significant character in the film. He is addressing the audience by looking straight at them. This could help the audience engage with the poster conforming to the purpose of the product. In the background the ground is filled with dead bodies. The protagonist is standing on them characterising him as sinister and triumphant. The bats are also suggestive of death linking to the dark nature of the film. The building in the background is a stereotypical location used in dark fantasy movies because they support the idea that the character is powerful and it fuses together elements of the fantasy and real world.
Star system
There is no star system visible on this poster. This could be because the director wants to build anticipation around the film and not give to much away in the poster. Luke Evans is a famous actor and so the director could be working on the assumption that the audience for this film would recognise him. Perhaps they are relying on the narrative of the film to appeal to to the audience rather than the cast members. Excluding the star system it usually a technique used in teaser posters.
Typography
The typography used is sans serif. This could mirror how the film has a contemporary narrative compared to the original Dracula film and novel because serif font is usually used in more traditional media types. The large writing and bold effect of the title shows that it is a title and therefore this part of the poster will stand out to the audience. The typography used is silver. Silver connotes armour and coming close to victory - linking to the battleground like setting and the power the protagonist possesses.
Strap/tagline
The strap line is not written in as larger size font as the title, but is still clear to an audience or passer by, reflecting its importance in the narrative. The word "beginning" connects to the fact that the story is "untold". This helps build up anticipation surrounding the film because the audience are being put in a privileged position. The strapline is black which substantiates the idea of power and sophistication. The position of the strapline is significant because it is placed at the top of the poster so it is likely to be noticed by the viewer. This shows that the designer felt that it was important in promoting the film. The word 'bloodline' links to the connotations of Dracula and vampirism, and so conforms to the conventions of the dark fantasy genre. The inclusion of 'blood' roots this poster in the dark fantasy genre because the prominence of blood is gruesome. This may not be the case with a traditional fantasy film.
Costume
The protagonist is wearing armour which suggests that he is powerful and perhaps going into battle. This links to the action that is likely to be seen in the film. Conflict is a common theme in dark fantasy films because the plot is based around the protagonist attempting to defeat the antagonist who engages in evil doings which are not in the interest of the protagonist. The dominant colour in the protagonist's costume is black which is a symbol of darkness and death connecting to the features of the narrative. Bats are also a symbol of death and so we can infer that death is important in the narrative. The protagonist is wearing black which subverts the conventions of a usual protagonist who intends to restore the equilibrium. Therefore there is ambiguity surrounding the true motives of the character. This may characterise the protagonist as a false hero. His cloak is worn and ripped. This could suggest that he has been involved in a lot of conflict and has become battle hardened, especially as he is standing in a powerful wide legged stance in this image. This damage could also connote that he has developed imperfections which have shaped him as a protagonist. Bats are also a symbol of rebirth which links to the word 'beginning' which features in the strap line. It could also link to his reincarnation as a non-human character (vampire). Rebirth supports the idea that he has immortal qualities stemming from his resilience. The serpent that is visible on the protagonist's armour also leads the audience to question his motives because in the Bible serpents are a symbol of temptation towards evil (such as in the Garden of Eden).
Mise-en-Scene and Iconography
The lighting used is low key to add further ambiguity and enigma to the poster. It also uses pathetic fallacy because it reflects the sinister mood of the poster, and possibly the narrative. The castle is a stock location in fantasy films as it is often a symbol of power and authority. There is not much clarity surrounding the building, so some may interpret it as a church. If this is the case, the poster effectively uses the concept of religion. Religion has been a common theme of the posters, I have looked at so far. This is interesting because the concept subverts the sinister nature of dark fantasy films as it promotes purity and holiness. Clouds add further ambiguity to the poster because they result in an ominous looking sky and so suggest the poster does not offer a clear picture of the narrative to the audience.
Interesting iconography is used. Flags are a symbol of patriotism and a signal of celebration. Therefore being used on a battleground is subversive, and perhaps leads the viewers to take negative connotations of it. Whilst weapons are commonly used by the primary characters in the film (especially antagonists) in order to demonstrate their power and perhaps ability to inflict harm, the character in this poster has none. This could suggest that he has a reputation for being reborn and so substantiates the idea that he is resilient. It also hints at the inhuman, "Dracula" element of him; he is able to fight without getting hurt. Alternatively, he could personify a "weapon", being one himself.
Other Information
The information on this poster regarding release of the film is vague, conforming to its purpose as a teaser poster. For example, it doesn't yet have a rating. However, there is a website listed at the bottom of the poster which suggests that the companies involved want viewers to interact with the film to build up anticipation after seeing the poster (the Western world reads left to right, top to bottom). It is also informative about the production companies involved. It was produced by the conglomerate Universal Studios. Smaller, independent film companies are unable to afford using viral, syynergetic marketing techniques to promote a film. Hence it is wanting the audience to decode the film as a successfl blockbuster film.
Evaluation and Critical Reflection
Overall, this film is successful in conveying elements of the genre whilst sustaining ambiguity and as a result of this, audience anticipation. Including a star system may have made the poster more effective in promoting the film; knowing a familiar face may help generate more initial interest as a teaser poster does.
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