Blog #1 Lone Survivor

 Lone Survivor Movie Poster

            Lone survivor is a movie based off of a nonfiction novel of a true story where four US Navy Seals were left in an Afghanistan warzone with no real chance for extraction. These men fought for their lives as they struggled through the rough mountain terrain of Afghanistan in order to escape enemy territory. In an intense, combat filled film; Mark Wahlberg leads three other men on a surveillance mission only to have their mission backfire by some unexpected strangers.

            The movie poster was actually very intriguing for me. I am a big fan of war movies (especially if they hold some sort of nonfiction in them) and this poster screamed intense war movie all over it. Even though there are different colors on the poster, they all have a dark shade to them, which expresses an intense them. The intense facial expression and look of pain on Mark’s face really draws me into the poster and makes me question what is going on that he has to deal with. His face is covered in dirt and cuts/blood all over which only add to the idea that he has been through hell in back.

            The poster really uses all Ethos, Pathos, and Logos extraordinarily well. Both the picture of Mark Wahlberg as well as his name written in bold letters has represented ethos on the poster. “Based on true acts of Courage” across the bottom only adds to the credibility for this movie. Logos, which can be seen by the same quote as well as things such as the rating and producer’s names on the bottom, is also well represented here. In the fine print we can even see that this movie originated as a nonfiction novel, which gives us information and also gives the movie credibility. Even by viewing the font, we can deduct that the movie is militaristic in nature. Pathos is by far the most represented on this poster however. This whole poster tugs on the emotions of the viewer. The way Mark Wahlberg is staring out into the distance with a frightened look on his face is quite interesting. The fact that this character is a rugged Navy Seal and that it is played by Mark Wahlberg (who is generally plays a confident role) makes this poster unique in that it makes the viewer question what in the world could be so frightening that it has Mark Wahlberg unnerved. Mark is also looking over his shoulder, which may mean that he could fear someone coming after him like he is the prey (another uncommon role for Mark). The dirt/grime and the wounds covering his face show that he has been through a serious struggle to get to where he is in this poster.

            Overall, the poster was very effective in enticing me to see the film. As for surprises there isn’t much to be honest. The poster really doesn’t hide too much from the viewer due to the fact that the story was already known before the film. I guess if someone went into the film not knowing anything about what the movie was about the title or the fact that there is only one man on the poster could be considered foreshadowing. The poster clearly described what type of movie you would be seeing.