MovieChat Forums > Le couperet (2005) Discussion > What's up with all the poster ads?

What's up with all the poster ads?

posted 18 years ago by frank_h2
11 replies | jump to latest

I'm sure anyone who’s seen this movie couldn’t help noticing the poster ads that recurrently appear. They advertise lingerie, cosmetics, jewellery and other feminine “luxury” goods. They contain neither brands nor texts, just black and white images. I’m no expert but I’m convinced the director uses them as some sort of imagery or symbolism. I wonder what kind of message Costa-Gavras was trying to put across. Could it be a denunciation of female consumerism? Women do spend lots of money on trifles!

What’s your take on it?

Forgive my shaky English: it is not my mother tongue.

[–] 18 years ago

[deleted]

[–] frank_h2 18 years ago

I agree with your views save for Maastricht.

Being north-american, I’m on foreign ground when it comes to Europe. However, from the info I’ve gathered on wikipedia.com, I know Maastricht is the dutch city where the Maastricht Treaty got ratified by the members of the E.U. thus leading to the creation of the Euro currency. I think it would be very far-fetched to imply that the director was aware of this while shooting. Also, do not forget that part of the movie takes place (and was shot) in Belgium, a country that shares a border with the Netherlands.

[–] peter-1700 18 years ago

It is symbolic of why Jose and the rest of us are pressured to all put ourselves through the hell that is earning a living - because we are constantly compelled to consume, upgrade what we have, want more and more and more.

[–] 18 years ago

[deleted]

[–] zoelat 18 years ago

Read the imdb page....it says who the artist of the posters was....I have seen this movie twice now and thoroughly enjoy the way everything goes "wrong" for him....clever....it has been doing very well in New Zealand and is in about its 12th week in Auckland
Those who liked Karin Viard should search out "L'Enfer" ("Hell") which also stars her....an excellent movie which has just been in the Auckland International Film Festival.

[–] 18 years ago

[deleted]

[–] 18 years ago

[deleted]

[–] VTPooh 16 years ago

Man those posters sucked big time. Was it really necessarily to smash this motif right in our faces? Motifs are only nice when they are not so obvious. It's like LOOK EVERYBODY, THIS IS MY MOTIF HAS EVERYBODY SEEN IT? How could anyone not see it?
Also Maastricht is know as a big shopping centre. This could be intended, could be coincidence. At least it's much more subtle. What makes it much more clever than those stupid posters.

[–] abelmn2000 16 years ago

The poster ads are all related to WOMEN, beautiful killer women I should say. The ads constantly reminded the protagonist that he should provide for his wife, or else....The provocative pics serve as a catalyst, the more he sees them, the more he wants to kill to achieve his dreams (no money no wife, no wife no life). There has been a constant struggle with his wife, who almost left him. A woman interviewed him and killed his dreams. In the end, a killer woman comes by to take out the poor guy.

[–] Eumenides_0 15 years ago

I think some ads alluded to plots in the movie. Shortly after he runs over a victim, I believe I saw a background ad with a naked woman lying next to a car. In another scene I believe an ad depicted a person holding a watch as if it were a knife, foreshadowing Davert's new weapon after he dumps the Luger.

This world is a comedy to those that think, a tragedy to those that feel.

[–] rzr 14 years ago

ads = competition market = capitalism = cost killers = killers

--
# http://rzr.online.fr/q/Movies # Watch copyleft movies ?