A2 Research and Planning: Semiotic Analysis of The Last House on the Left

The Last House on the Left is a 2009 American film directed by Dennis Iliadis and written by Carl Ellsworth and Adam Alleca. It is a remake of the 1972 film of the same name. The film follows the parents of Mari Collingwood, who attempt to get revenge on a group of strangers, led by a man named Krug that have taken shelter at their home during a thunderstorm. The Collingwoods discover that the Krug and his group have shot their daughter and left her for dead.

The colour scheme in this poster consists of black, white and red. The use of red is strong and denotes violence and anger. It stands out against the black and white, commands attention and adds emphasis to the signifier ‘house’, which is a larger font size than the rest of the title and is illustrated by the main image. The blood splatter over ‘house’ further denotes the use of violence and gore portrayed in the film. The rest of the title is in a simple white font and is easily readable against the black.

The image used is a long shot of a house in black and white. The connotation of this effect is to create a sense of eeriness which enhances the film’s portrayal of a thriller/horror. The effect may also be used for nostalgia purposes and creates a sense of the movie being a classic portrayal of the genre. The white used around the house juxtaposes the dark shades of the sky and the house to allow the image to stand out.

The image itself is a portrayal of a classic horror/thriller setting. The house itself looks imposing and the trees surrounding it further emphasises the spookiness and eeriness associated with the genre. It also portrays a lack of human life away from the house, which foreshadows the family’s desperation to escape and find help.

The tagline under the image contains signifiers such as ‘bad’, ‘hurt’ and ‘love.’ These are all associated with conflicting emotions which suggests the characters will face danger and conflict in the film. The white font used is simple and contrasts against the black.