HSE x ITS: The Alternative Cinema Poster of THE RETURN (2003)

The Return (2003) by Andrey Zvyagintsev is a drama movie which uses emotional and empathy of the audiences. It is a story of 2 brothers who meet their father after 12 years disappeared. Their father invited them to go camping with him.

Across the movie, it explore many of humans feeling. A complex situation between father and son. Uncertainty of future. and bravery.

«A Sky of Red Sea engulf a road towards nowhere. For nothing but a red car passing through it. For red is its colour, acolour of uneasiness, and uncertainty. For in the sky, pass but one boat on its calm wave, yet surrounded by a never ending fogs. For their voyage, is to an unknown and uncertainty.»

In this alternative, the poster used the iconic elements of the movie (the red car and the boat). The car is drawn in the road towards something, which in the movie, is an island. And then the boat, representing their path towards the island inside a misty fog. Representing the uncertainty of their future. The use of the colour red here, symbolizes uncertainty, uneasiness, and danger. For their path is a dangerous path. For the sky uses the crayon texture, for it to represents an almost like a story/children book cover

«In the fields of grass, where nothing but lies of one lonely tower in it. For he is alone in the wilderness, yet his presence soars towards the sky. And his shadow falls upon the creatures which pass him. For he is lonely, ye lonely. And may we never know for what he thinks. As he is silence, and always thinking. To one day, he shall witnessed a tragedy. A tragedy of a family.»

The tower, is one of the elements of the movie. As it simbolises the main character’s struggles of being brave. The tower also can be interpreted for the main character’s father. As it is dominating, soaring, and cold. Giving the main character uneasiness. In this poster, we can see the main character on top of the tower, shaking and scared. looking at his father below. The style here that is used is to amplify the dramatical view of the scene (With the lighting, and the clouds shades).

«A band of misfits, yet a family, a father, and his two sons. for they wanders across these woods into an unknown point. To what they shall unfold, may only they shall know.»

In this poster, there are the three main characters, which are the father and the sons (Andrey and Ivan). As the movie goes, they are on the journey towards an island. For the island, is present in the back ground, with its iconic watch tower. Representing their destination. For the style, the poster used a George Seurat Impressionist style which uses the pointilism technique. This represents the nature of their journey, unpredicted, unorganized, and uncertaint. As for the colour, it uses vibrant colour to represents the nature presents in the film.

«for a calming wave touching my boat. And the rays of the sun engulfing me. as i see my reflection off the boat, for what future may give. For me, and my brother. To what we have done»

The elements in this poster uses the boat, which the boys and the father uses. Here we can see a reflection of the boy (Ivan) looking in to the water. Contemplating of an action that he causes. The colours that is use are vibrant and dreamy like, suggesting the dreamy-like situation that Ivan has overcome. tho, it is real.

«in the wavering sea after the storm. for clouds unfolding, revealing an island up-front. as it is a place, a place for the voyage. for the voyage to open. to what will lies in the island, for the fogs shall be fold upon it. again.»

We can see the iconic red car on the sea. representing its journey with the passenger, of how uncertain their fate is. The sharp angle that is used for the polygon style representing the danger they will encounter up a head. As for the colour of blue, representing the gloomy, unfamiliar, and cold feeling, between the father and the sons.

«for the brothers wandering across the woods. as it is dark and gloomy. for their father bids, and the must. for time is ticking, and the hours grows late»

Here we can see Ivan and Andrey, the two brothers. For they are sent into the wilderness by their father to search for foods. The red colour scheme symbolizes the dread and the uneasiness of the ticking time for their father. The reasoning of the woods background is because it is the second most common place that the movie takes in (next to the sea). And the woods also represent the dark shades of it. Revealing a closed and darken path to the future

Here is the link for the original resolution

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1k5IeqcfE3UYHeiCNDvmiuQTIjyHITcog?usp=sharing