Featured Throwback Poster: The Silence of the Lambs – Poster 1

Posted: August 9, 2011
Year:
Agency:
Featured Throwback Poster: The Silence of the Lambs - Poster 1, 6.3 out of 10 based on 47 ratings

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Our Rating:
9.9

Dear TFI Readers,

We’re not the New York Times and we’re definitely not owned by Murdoch (otherwise we’d so be tapping your cells). We saw a niche in a world we love and we decided to jump. We’re still building our database and love finding new stuff. Props to a recent reader for bringing this gem to our attention (review below).

Agencies, movie buffs, Rupert Murdoch, if you can’t find your favorite movie poster, trailer or website here, let us know and we’ll put it up. If it’s this good we’ll put it on our top slot.

-The Film Informant

 

 

The Silence of Salvador

In 1991, while “The Silence of the Lambs” transformed horror, its poster transformed key art design. This iconic image of Clarice Starling (Jodi Foster), a moth covering her mouth like duct tape, became the foundation not only of the film’s marketing campaign, but also of the film itself.

The poster’s mind-blowing symbolism centers on the moth. After serial killer Buffalo Bill slays his victims, his signature (every serial killer needs one) is to dip their decapitated heads in formaldehyde and stuff a huge moth down their throats. Placing the moth over Starling’s mouth evokes the film’s title, but also its third act, in which Starling herself becomes a potential moth-swallower.

Furthermore, Buffalo Bill’s motive isn’t malice or blood-lust, but rather to become a woman. Not by putting on women’s clothes, but by putting on women themselves: he attempts to construct a body suite out of the skins of his female victims, who are symbolized in this poster by the little skull on the moth’s back.

That skull pattern is what gives this breed of moth, the death’s-head Hawkmoth, its morbid name. But here the pattern is replaced by a shrunken image of the famous Salvador Dali, Philippe Halsman photograph, Salvador Dali In Voluptate Mors.

The use of Dali’s photograph is a powerful symbol of Buffalo Bill’s deathly crusade to find himself by wearing herself, but it’s also this poster’s one imperfection. Key art design is often influenced by fine art, but this one-sheet leapfrogs influence and goes straight to theft. By ripping from Dali it sacrifices a small but significant shred of originality.

-Also check out the poster for “The Descent,” which is inspired by the same Salvador Dali photograph.

The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
(s)
The Silence of the Lambs – Trailer 1
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Comments

  1. McLove'n posted the following on August 9, 2011 at 8:09 pm.

    WOW! That is a powerful review.
    I had no idea.
    WOW!!

  2. - posted the following on August 9, 2011 at 8:10 pm.

    Speechless.

  3. Tron posted the following on August 9, 2011 at 8:11 pm.

    Everything has been ripped. Great poster.

  4. six pack kid posted the following on August 9, 2011 at 8:12 pm.

    The company that made this great poster was DAZU!

  5. six pack kid posted the following on August 9, 2011 at 8:13 pm.

    Best POSTER EVER MADE.
    The director made them use the DALI painting i have been told.
    Great poster:)

  6. FYI posted the following on August 9, 2011 at 8:14 pm.

    Top 10 poster ever!

  7. G5 posted the following on August 9, 2011 at 8:15 pm.

    WOW.

  8. G5 posted the following on August 9, 2011 at 8:16 pm.

    Great image.

  9. 213 posted the following on August 9, 2011 at 8:19 pm.

    I bet Dali did this poster. Or he must of approved it.

  10. Grip posted the following on August 9, 2011 at 8:21 pm.

    http://rosalieee.wordpress.com/2011/03/25/salvador-dali-silence-of-the-lambs/

  11. Tom G posted the following on August 9, 2011 at 8:23 pm.

    http://inspiredposters.wordpress.com/category/salvador-dali/

  12. Edit Boyz posted the following on August 9, 2011 at 8:24 pm.

    The best poster ever made.

  13. 411 posted the following on August 9, 2011 at 8:27 pm.

    Fu@#ing great review! Great poster.

  14. Texas girl posted the following on August 9, 2011 at 8:33 pm.

    WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  15. Texas girl posted the following on August 9, 2011 at 8:35 pm.

    THE BEST POSTER EVER MADE. Period.

  16. Jessica posted the following on August 9, 2011 at 8:39 pm.

    WOW
    I LOVE THIS REVIEW

  17. Sir. Bullshit posted the following on August 9, 2011 at 8:39 pm.

    this on 2-
    http://totallylookslike.icanhascheezburger.com/2010/03/15/the-descent-poster-totally-looks-like-dali-skull-portrait/

  18. GINA posted the following on August 9, 2011 at 8:39 pm.

    http://totallylookslike.icanhascheezburger.com/2010/03/15/the-descent-poster-totally-looks-like-dali-skull-portrait/

  19. READ THIS posted the following on August 9, 2011 at 8:46 pm.

    http://posterwire.com/archives/2005/04/30/silence-of-the-lambs/

    It was DAZU.

  20. _ posted the following on August 9, 2011 at 8:47 pm.

    GOD I LOVE THIS POSTER! A+++++++++++++++++++

  21. ETY posted the following on August 9, 2011 at 8:48 pm.

    Classic.

  22. WOW posted the following on August 9, 2011 at 8:49 pm.

    http://posterwire.com/archives/2005/04/30/silence-of-the-lambs/

    http://rosalieee.wordpress.com/2011/03/25/salvador-dali-silence-of-the-lambs/

  23. 123456 posted the following on August 9, 2011 at 8:50 pm.

    1. Alien
    2. The Silence of the Lambs

  24. TRI posted the following on August 9, 2011 at 8:56 pm.

    Wow.

  25. Monkey posted the following on August 9, 2011 at 8:57 pm.

    Posted by: Douche Bigalow | Monday, August 08, 2011 at 01:43 PM

    WTF? How can this faux poster rating site have any credibility at all when in doesn’t even include “The Silence of the Lambs” (The Greatest Movie Poster of All Time) in the Perfect 10 Posters list! Obviously losers.

  26. Oldschool dude posted the following on August 9, 2011 at 8:59 pm.

    Seriously GREAT REVIEW! Thanks.

  27. AV SLUT posted the following on August 9, 2011 at 9:01 pm.

    Thank you monkey art awards.

  28. Piston Pete posted the following on August 9, 2011 at 9:03 pm.

    I never knew. Wow. Learn something new every day. Fu@#ing WEB. It changes everything.

  29. AUTO REPLY posted the following on August 9, 2011 at 9:04 pm.

    it’s a perfect 10.0

  30. 911 posted the following on August 9, 2011 at 9:06 pm.

    Dazu???????

  31. ART CRITIC posted the following on August 9, 2011 at 9:09 pm.

    You TFI kids are smart. Good review. Nice site.

  32. USA posted the following on August 9, 2011 at 9:10 pm.

    GREAT CLASSIC POSTER! A+

  33. WOW! posted the following on August 9, 2011 at 9:14 pm.

    Thank you.

  34. HELL BOUND posted the following on August 9, 2011 at 9:16 pm.

    Interesting.

  35. I like blow posted the following on August 9, 2011 at 9:17 pm.

    Then should the company name on this great poster change to DAZU?

  36. POST posted the following on August 9, 2011 at 9:22 pm.

    Not a good review. A GREAT review.

  37. POST posted the following on August 9, 2011 at 9:24 pm.

    Perfect 10.0 not a 9.9

  38. 666 posted the following on August 9, 2011 at 9:31 pm.

    Review the trailer. No one cares about posters anyway. Dead art form.
    REVIEW THE TRAILER.
    Thats all that matters NOW! HELLO???

  39. Boston Boy posted the following on August 9, 2011 at 9:33 pm.

    I like this review. Nice job.

  40. Northern Cal posted the following on August 9, 2011 at 9:34 pm.

    666, has a point.

  41. FYI posted the following on August 9, 2011 at 9:37 pm.

    BLT did this poster.

  42. GOD posted the following on August 9, 2011 at 9:38 pm.

    It’s the best poster ever made. 10.0

  43. Law Firm posted the following on August 9, 2011 at 9:43 pm.

    You just can’t take a Dali and put it on your poster. Did the Dali foundation approve this. Yikes.

  44. WOW!!!!!!!! posted the following on August 9, 2011 at 9:44 pm.

    WOW!!!!!!!

  45. art school kid posted the following on August 9, 2011 at 9:45 pm.

    Cool poster.

  46. 1984 posted the following on August 9, 2011 at 9:48 pm.

    Dope.

  47. HLM posted the following on August 9, 2011 at 9:58 pm.

    i good poster

  48. Little bird told me posted the following on August 9, 2011 at 10:01 pm.

    Nikki Finke did this site.

  49. NYC Bitch posted the following on August 9, 2011 at 10:02 pm.

    I love this marketing site.

  50. Twin Lakes GRRRRRllll! :) posted the following on August 9, 2011 at 10:09 pm.

    this is a great site. Learn stuff. i love move trailers. I want to become an editor soon.

  51. 1+1 =72 posted the following on August 9, 2011 at 10:14 pm.

    Douche Bigalow-
    You Fu@%ing tool.
    Thats why you do movie posters.
    I hope get a finish.

  52. The Sun posted the following on August 9, 2011 at 10:15 pm.

    This is a A+ poster.

  53. D-Lish posted the following on August 9, 2011 at 10:17 pm.

    I love this poster HARD!

  54. Yuppers posted the following on August 9, 2011 at 10:30 pm.

    Bravo. Perfect distillation of the brilliance of this poster AND of the philosophy of your site. I hope this encourages more people to communicate and contribute.

  55. 10:31 pm posted the following on August 9, 2011 at 10:31 pm.

    Kind of a BIG WOW!
    Yup.
    WOW!!!!!!!!

  56. M A A posted the following on August 9, 2011 at 10:34 pm.

    The Monkey art chick is an OLD bad designer. BD FOX, BLT

    aka Trout.

  57. Trout posted the following on August 9, 2011 at 10:34 pm.

    C+

  58. Dead Mouse posted the following on August 9, 2011 at 10:38 pm.

    Yuppers is fu@#ing cool.

  59. X RAY EYES posted the following on August 9, 2011 at 10:41 pm.

    SERIOUSLY Great review. You win. It takes balls to be a fu#@ing BAD ASS!!! Seriously. Go TFI!

  60. Le guerre posted the following on August 9, 2011 at 10:45 pm.

    Wow. You schooled me.

  61. Blue Mountains posted the following on August 9, 2011 at 10:45 pm.

    WAS THIS DALI APPROVED? WTF???????

  62. Keep it real posted the following on August 9, 2011 at 10:50 pm.

    This poster should remind us all…of the heights that great art can achieve AND the compromises EVERYONE makes in the process.

    Is it a paradox that one of the most iconic posters in history also contains an obvious ripoff? No, it’s just advertising.

  63. Just a dude posted the following on August 9, 2011 at 10:53 pm.

    This is a Fu%&ing GREAT REVIEW! You are with us. Im cool with that!

  64. Xt posted the following on August 9, 2011 at 10:54 pm.

    I have never seen so much bitterness in the comments!

    Keep up the good work TFI.

  65. USC kid posted the following on August 9, 2011 at 10:57 pm.

    This is freaking me out. You people are crazy.

  66. GBH posted the following on August 9, 2011 at 11:16 pm.

    USC, we are all fu@@ed up from working in Hollywood.

  67. GBH posted the following on August 9, 2011 at 11:19 pm.

    Keep it real-
    You won. More 2 come.

  68. ZOO posted the following on August 9, 2011 at 11:27 pm.

    A+

  69. SHARK WEEK posted the following on August 10, 2011 at 8:16 am.

    Its a perfect poster.

  70. FYI posted the following on August 10, 2011 at 9:22 am.

    I thought it was Dazu. Thats what the article says.

  71. http://posterwire.com/archives/2005/04/30/silence-of-the-lambs/ posted the following on August 10, 2011 at 9:34 am.

    The Lambs one-sheet was created by the (now defunct) film ad agency Dazu, and the skull image idea was reportedly given to the agency by director Jonathan Demme specifically for use in the film’s poster artwork.

  72. WEB POLICE posted the following on August 10, 2011 at 9:35 am.

    And to change the company name. Yikes.

  73. WEB POLICE posted the following on August 10, 2011 at 9:41 am.

    they did it2-
    http://posterwire.com/archives/2006/05/29/silence-of-the-descent/

  74. HELP posted the following on August 10, 2011 at 9:45 am.

    So is it Dazu or BLT?

  75. Sin City posted the following on August 10, 2011 at 9:49 am.

    If Dali designed this poster then i bet it would then be a perfect 10.0

  76. Jazzy posted the following on August 10, 2011 at 9:51 am.

    Amazing poster.

  77. Calories posted the following on August 10, 2011 at 10:04 am.

    Cool site. I love bringing back old stuff with the new.

  78. G Force posted the following on August 10, 2011 at 10:09 am.

    Sweet sheet!

  79. Apple Pie posted the following on August 10, 2011 at 10:19 am.

    We are all hacks.

  80. Thor fan posted the following on August 10, 2011 at 10:34 am.

    Love this poster.

  81. Singer posted the following on August 10, 2011 at 2:27 pm.

    Amazing.

  82. USSR posted the following on August 10, 2011 at 6:39 pm.

    So why does it not get credited with DAZU????????

  83. 8 ball posted the following on August 10, 2011 at 10:59 pm.

    GREAT review. GREAT!!

  84. Bitchslappped posted the following on August 10, 2011 at 11:04 pm.

    Powerful shit. Wow!

  85. EVIL I AM posted the following on August 10, 2011 at 11:09 pm.

    (now defunct) film ad agency Dazu

  86. Yup posted the following on August 10, 2011 at 11:10 pm.

    I second that.

  87. Art Slave posted the following on August 10, 2011 at 11:11 pm.

    Guilty.

  88. Jeff D posted the following on August 10, 2011 at 11:23 pm.

    so why does it say BLT. If it was DAZU? Seriously WHY?

  89. Def ears posted the following on August 10, 2011 at 11:25 pm.

    HELLO?

  90. SheArt posted the following on August 10, 2011 at 11:29 pm.

    gross

  91. 1985 posted the following on August 10, 2011 at 11:47 pm.

    F.

  92. X-MAS posted the following on August 11, 2011 at 9:21 am.

    Best poster ever made.

  93. Coke head posted the following on August 12, 2011 at 8:03 am.

    9.9. It’s stolen.

  94. i phone posted the following on September 3, 2011 at 8:37 am.

    Thanks for putting a spot light on this one. Why does is say BLT if it was created at DAZU? Strange factoid.

  95. WTF posted the following on September 3, 2011 at 8:38 am.

    http://inspiredposters.wordpress.com/category/salvador-dali/

  96. Jamie posted the following on September 16, 2011 at 6:03 am.

    This poster is crap! What a big load of praise for nothing. The fact that this garbage was voted the best poster since 1971 pretty much says it all – the voters are very shallow individuals with no taste. It’s average at best and a laughable claim to say it’s the best.

    It’s definitley not better than any of these:

    Jaws
    Star Wars Trilogy
    Indiana Jones Trilogy
    Back To The Future Trilogy
    Blade Runner
    Dead & Buried
    Close Encounters Of The Third Kind
    Super 8

    and a million others.

  97. Damon posted the following on October 6, 2011 at 9:43 pm.

    its DAZU! I worked there. WTF? He should sue those coke heads.

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