Translating Hollywood
Sam Sarowitz
- Page Count: 160
- Size: 7 x 11 inches
- Format: Casebound
- Publication Date: May 2008
- Price: $45
- ISBN: 978-0-9772827-9-1
A fresh perspective on the art of movie posters!
Culled from the collection of movie-poster aficionado Sam Sarowitz’s Posteritati Gallery, Translating Hollywood examines how the posters used to sell the same film in different countries speak volumes for how cultural tendencies are reflected in graphic design and how the differences are about much more than language. Sarowitz’s selections of posters feature legendary films, directors and coveted collectibles. Featuring classic works of poster design by the likes of Saul Bass, obscure Russian science fiction movies and multiple takes on famous films from Hollywood, France and Japan, the posters in Translating Hollywood come from all over the world: the US, UK, Poland, Argentina, Belgium, Cuba and much of Eastern Europe.
Take for example two extremely different posters for the movie Tootsie. The American version has an American flag backdrop, in front of which Dustin Hoffman, smiling away, is dressed in drag. The image is light-hearted and comedic. Compare this visual mood to the Polish poster for the same movie. A face from the nose up is blurred; below the nose, a clear five o’ clock shadow and lips painted red. This image conjures a subversive feeling that smacks of covert, back-alley assignations.
Spanning decades of film history, all comparisons include intriguing captions that react and respond to various visual elements of the posters, including design, typography and copy. New York Times columnist Dave Kehr’s introduction glosses the history of film posters, as does a profile of Sam Sarowitz. Translating Hollywood takes a long-standing industry practice and showcases these remarkable contrasts of design and content like no other book available.
