Carnival of Souls

Carnival of Souls is a 1962 American independent film. The original poster features the image of an older man who is seemingly vilified by his hairstyle which resembles two devil horns. It can be presumed he is the main antagonist. Despite the close up headshot and fact he is in the bottom left corner of the poster, he still holds an air of dominance and strikes fear into the audience. Stuart Hall's Theory of Representation can be seen by background codes, such as, several floating, desaturated balloons and a large, colourful building which can only be assumed to be the main setting of the film. These codes distort the image and allude to the genre of the film - horror. Furthering this, there are several warped figures in the background, each one being uncomfortably disproportionate and yet human enough that it creeps us out or makes us uneasy.

The main feature of the poster is a frightened woman who captures the eye of the viewer. The Carnival of Souls poster cites Lisbet Van Zoonen's Feminist Theory by subtly portraying women in traditional roles. The woman's costume, a red and white dress, sexualises her as the strap has fallen off of her shoulder and exaggerates 'appealing assets' such as her breast. She falls into the 'damsel in distress' troupe, with a man villainising a woman. This does not coincide with the events of 1960's America as woman were breaking their past decade imagery of being housewives and instead entering the paid workforce, increasing dissatisfaction among women regarding pay and workforce harassment. Another woman, presumably the same character, is shown neck-deep in water, unconscious in a car. This imagery also victimises women. This is an enigma code as it makes us ask questions, specifically what event leads to that shot of the woman. The attribute to sex reflects the dominant ideology that woman should remain in homes as housewives and mothers; that they are weaker compared to men.