A Century of Movie Posters

Book excerpt: Film buffs, graphic designers, and art students will relish this beautifully produced and strikingly illustrated volume. Arranged in roughly chronological order, it brings together movie posters from around the world, starting with Charlie Chaplin film ads and the Russian Revolutionary movie posters of the 1910s, then spanning the century to show posters publicizing hits of the 1990s, including The Silence of the Lambs, Spike Lee films, and many more. The bookï¿1/2s sections focus on renowned individual designers, directors, movies, and genres. Important poster designers such as Saul Bass, Jan Lenica, and Juan Gatti receive particular attention, as do great directors who had strong opinions about how their films should be represented. Among the latter are Alfred Hitchcock, Jean-Luc Godard, and Otto Preminger. All major film genres are representedï¿1/2musicals, Kung Fu movies, films noir, westerns (including so-called ï¿1/2spaghetti westernsï¿1/2 filmed in Italy), science fiction classics, and others. Readers are treated to examples of movie posters not only from the United States, Britain, and France, but also to previously unpublished examples from countries as diverse as Poland, China, and Cuba. For instance, fans of Orson Welles might be surprised to see the previously unpublished Italian poster advertising Citizen Kane under its Italian title, Quarto Potere (The Fourth Estate). This handsome volume will be valued by graphic designers, poster collectors, and anyone sharing the popular passion for cinema.