Saturday, March 28, 2015

A picture is worth 1000 words

I found this picture from a production of No Exit and I thought that it was a really good representation of the central interactions in the play. The specific composition of the poster, with the three characters in a triangle type shape and with everyone looking away from each other, communicates the basic inability to truly connect and compromise that the three characters share. Inez looks down on Garcin and Estelle jealously. Estelle avoids facing herself by closing her eyes (figuratively) and focusing on her lust (?) for Garcin. Garcin directs his gaze (the GAZE) away from both women. 

Imagine for a second that you didn't know anything about this play. How effective is the poster at conveying the fundamental themes of the play?


7 comments:

Unknown said...

Knowing absolutely nothing, I don't think this poster tells much about the place. You can see the love connection but you don't get that Inez is a lesbian. She looks just downtrodden that she doesn't have someone to love her. I certainly don't get that it takes place in hell or the circumstances. To me, it seems like a place that circulated around a love triangle

Unknown said...

If I didn't know anything, I'd definitely see the love triangle without a third side (or at least the jealousy that Inez has, and the indifference Garcin has). The exasperated faces also help to express some kind of anguish within the plot of this play.

Unknown said...

I definitely agree with Bonnie in that this poster definitely doesn't convey what most people picture Hell to be. However, I think that's an accurate depiction because in No Exit hell isn't portrayed as a typical hell. I think that the interaction between the characters in this poster accurately describes the relationship between all the three characters. You can distinctly see by their facial expressions what their personality is like and how they interact with one another.

Unknown said...

Garcin looks so done, and I think it's hilarious.

Anyway, I think that this poster does a pretty good job of getting the whole love triangle thing across. I completely agree with Tiffany that the Hell isn't a fire and brimstone kind of hell, and that is shown in the poster.

One picture can't get across an entire story, but I think that this established character relationships really well.

Ross said...

I have to agree with Tiffany and Bonnie. Certainly no one would picture Hell in this way. I also noticed that the door in the background looks to be a tad bit open. My eyes aren't the best but I am almost certain. Considering the title of the play, I find that the fact that the door is open a little ironic and really funny. I could, of course, just be seeing things.

Unknown said...

I pictured Estelle as a firery Latina. Also isn't it odd how Inez's makeup is more shadowy. I am referring to her eyeshadow. It almost signals that she is hiding behind her makeup even though I feel like Estelle does that more often.

Sri Korrapati said...

I never imagined Inez to be brown! But I wouldn't tell that she's lesbian. I also see that they are all unsatisfied, and while the place is unrecognizable, they do look like there going through living hell. Garcin definitely looks like he's in his head, Inez definitely looks like she's unsatisfied, and Estelle looks like she's just trying to not think and just act. While the image isn't very descriptive of location, it definitely portrays the hell that Satre was going for.