Sunday 8 May 2011

Senales Sobre la Ciudad - Nico 1969

Senales Sobre la Ciudad (Signali Nad Gradom or Signal over the City) is a 1960 Yugoslavian film about a rescue mission to save a member of the resistance during the second world war. Nico's playful imagery features the traditional helmet of the officers and colourful pop art graphics to illustrate the drama of the military operation.

Saturday 7 May 2011

7 Hombres y una Muchacha - Azcuy - 1968

This Azcuy designed poster is wild, combining crazy colours and graphics to encapsulate the frenetic action of the film. 7 Hommes et une Garce (Seven men and a girl) is a swashbuckling French adventure set among the troops of Napoleon Bonaparte. Azcuy has managed to squeeze all seven men into the poster among the canons, explosions, costumes and flags. This poster is a classic.
 

Gigi - Nico 1969

Gigi is a sumptuous American musical set at the turn of the century. Its commentary on the lives of the wealthy and priveledged must have appealed to the Cuban authorities. This 1969 poster by Nico takes the best of San Francisco poster design and adds an art nouveau twist to present a simple but effective image.





Tuesday 15 March 2011

Fantomas Contra Scotland Yard - Bachs 1968

A great mix of photo montage and cartoon-style imagery collide in this 1968 poster by Bachs for a French crime caper film. The plot of the film revolves around multiple disguises adopted by Fantomas, the anti-hero of a series of James Bond knock-off comedies. The poster is a classic, and simple by Bachs usual standards. This poster has been torn in half at some time in its life and put back together with tape.

Sunday 13 March 2011

LBJ - Reboiro 1968

LBJ is a surreal documentary by Santiago Alvarez which mixes photo montage with footage of Lyndon B Johnson's background and political life. With moments of Monty Python style animation and crude juxtaposition the film attempts satire and humor while portraying LBJ as a merchant of death. The poster is a classic using the same style of photomontage, objectifying and ridiculing. Reboiro also worked on the film's imagery and is credited in the titles.


Here's the film:

Alvarez - LBJ (1968) by simpleappareil

Hasta la Victoria Siempre - Rostgaard 1968

One of the more famous Cuban posters, this 1968 poster by Rostgaard for a Santiago Alvarez documentary makes use of Korda's iconic image of Che Guevara. Hasta la Victoria Siempre (Onwards Forever to Victory) is Che's declaration of commitment to the revolutionary struggle. It's a simple pop-art style poster that places Che's iconic image in a heavy-bordered black box - a common method of displaying images of the dead in some cultures.

The film was made after Che's death to tell the story of his efforts in Bolivia to highlight the struggle of the opressed indigenous peoples and to foment revolution there. The 19 minute documentary was made quickly and makes use of photographs of Che's experiences in Bolivia cut with speeches and footage of him working among the people.

Notice the tape damage top and bottom of this poster which was given to an American visitor by Santiago Alvarez in 1968.

Here's the film:

Friday 11 February 2011

Bela - Oliva 1969

Another psychedelic design from Oliva that references the best of San Francisco's poster art, Bela is a now obscure 1966 Russian film set in the 19th century and featuring an army officer posted to the Caucasus who falls in love with a local prince. The poster's mysterious prince looks like a sinister magician while the dashing officer on horseback dominates the colourful design. As with the most famous Cuban poster designs the style is about as far as it is possible to get from socialist realism.

Tengo 19 Anos - Reboiro 1968

Tengo 19 Anos or Ich War Neunzehn (I was 19) is an East German pro-Soviet military drama in which the protagonist recalls his time as a commander in the Red Army. As with other Reboiro posters the colourful psychedelic design, which recalls Western concert posters, belies the serious nature of the East German production. The use of the portrait in positive and negative illustrates the divided alliances of the film's hero.