The movie poster of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning suggests that the main topic in the movie is killing people. The weapon which is used is the chainsaw which makes the murders brutal. Moreover, the massacre is conducted by a demented person, a monster, who cannot be killed because this person is the root of all evil. Even when the monster does get killed, it rises again which indicates that there will always be evil happening in the world. However, this also means that there will be good as well because the world consists of good and evil. It depends on the strength of one side or the other to prevail at the particular moment. This is a very interesting concept, even religious and moral, and all of this can be seen in the movie poster.
There is ethos is this poster because the murderer looks credible and it is carrying a chainsaw. The colors are gloomy and it seems as if a storm is coming. This means that something bad is going to happen because the monster seems to have strong determination to get his job done. This man is reliable because of the way he looks and because of his robust figure and his determination which can be seen from behind. The fact that his face cannot be seen means that he is scary and has much power.
There is also pathos in this movie poster because it provokes many feeling which vary from excitement to tremendous fear. The fact that the man is going somewhere and that he can be seen from the low angle in all his power suggests that he is determined to commit mass murders and massacres. The whole point revolves around the fact that his murders involve the use of a chainsaw which dismembers people and cuts them into pieces. This movie poster suggests that there will be much gore in this movie because of the monster-like killer and his deadly weapon. Moreover, a chainsaw is used for cutting trees and wood, but in this case human bodies will be cut one part at a time. This provokes a feeling of terror and makes people want to be in the best physical shape of their lives in order to escape such a situation if it ever happened to them to encounter this kind of a killer.
There is logos involved in this movie poster because it is logical that this evil creature is sure to kill many people and that he cannot be stopped. This monster can only be escaped if one is lucky enough. People tend to fear the unknown and it is not normal for a person to commit massacres. Therefore, this is not an ordinary person, but a mythical creature that feeds on evil. It does not take pleasure from killing people because he is doing it routinely. It is his job, like any other job and if it is observed from the metaphorical perspective, this monster represents the evil in the world and the system in the society that is inhuman. The working hours are increasing, while the salaries are decreasing all over the world in capitalistic societies. People have less time for sleep, their food is prepared for mass consumption and is unhealthy, there is global climate change and all these factors influence the decline of humanity. The monster in the movie poster represents the force that is destroying humanity and it is determined to stay. It cannot die, but it can be escaped from by being skillful and resourceful.
There are words “witness the birth of fear” (Liebesman, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre) which suggests that the audience will be the first to see how evil if born. They are bound to fell fear whether they like horror movies or not because this is a situation that could happen in life. This film brings the moment of fear being born to mass audiences on the screen and it is a terrifying fact. The location of the film is in the middle of nowhere which suggests that people got stuck there by accident. While they are searching for help, they get slaughtered. There is light and dark in the movie poster which suggests that the atmosphere in the film is changing depending on the perspective. The audience is sure to feel fear while looking at the movie poster as well imagining themselves to be in such a place. There are no authorities to help and most people do not carry guns for protection. Even if they did, such monsters, like the mass murderer from this film are bullet-proof.
Overall, this movie poster is striking and it creates a mental image which suggests that pure evil is lurking and that is can be found everywhere around people if they are not careful. Human life is fragile and it has to be taken care of and protected as well as possible. The man in the movie poster is on his way and he has gone far which means that it is probably impossible to stop him. This monster knows his job well as well as his way in life and has a certain path in life to follow. His destiny is to kill people and people need to resort to doing good in life in order to escape from such situations.
Looking at this image is a horrible experience, but it is exciting as well because it can teach people a lot about life. This is a kind of a survival guide for people who want to escape from the horrors of life and find inner peace. Finally, it all comes down to the matter of living or dying and this makes this movie poster successful. It provokes so many feelings because people fear for their lives and for the lives of their loved ones all the time. This movie poster is disturbing and will question people’s faith in good in the world. There is a constant struggle between good and bad and nothing is black or white. The nature of people is neither completely good, nor completely bad, but people control it in order to fit within the society and its norms. It is important to be useful and to make progress in life in order for it to be meaningful. People need this kind of movies to remind them how to cherish their lives. Horror and slasher movies influence people’s imagination and make them think about what is important in life and what is not. Evil has its purpose as well because there would be no good if there were no evil.
Works Cited
Liebesman, Jonathan, dir. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning. New Line Cinema, 2006. Film.
