The Philosophy of the Literary Text as an Introduction to Enriching the Cinematic Poster “Affiche”

The poster of a movie “Affiche” is the gateway through which the viewer passes into the worlds of cinematic drama. Moreover, it is the first relationship between the viewer and the film. There is no doubt that the film poster in Egypt, as well as in international cinema, has gone through different stages since its emergence. It may be consistent with the needs, requirements and cultures of society and the surrounding environment. Furthermore, it carries other elements in which both the movie stars and the script are involved, therefore it aims to make marketing and give visual background about the movie.

The movie poster, or what is called “Affiche” in the terminology of cinema, is one of the most important branches of graphic art. Moreover, it is the visual indication of the film's narrative, taken in advance from literary and narrative events. Thus, it can be fairly said that the beginning of the main idea of a movie poster is the original literary text of the novel or story inspired by the events and details of the film. In addition, the philosophy of the literary text is an effective approach to enrich the aesthetic values of the poster. This is what the current study investigates. The study is divided into two approaches; the first one tackles the entity of the poster, its genesis, and its stages of development to reach its contemporary form. The second approach highlights the formative view of the movie poster, the extent to which it is influenced by the drama and events of the original literary script of the film story, a conclusion, the findings, and recommendations of the study.