Movie Poster Spotlight: A Chinese Ghost Story (1987)

The best movie posters not only decorate a room. They define it.

This wonderful Hong Kong poster for Tsui Hark‘s A CHINESE GHOST STORY is a perfect example:

The film is an absolute classic of Hong Kong cinema and spawned two sequels. The poster is one of my all-time favorites among modern Hong Kong cinema posters. Many Hong Kong posters from the time are somewhat overloaded with text and imagery. More often than not, there is just ‚too much going on‘.

This design is a welcome exception: Simple and reduced to an utmost minimum, yet absolutely striking. Rather than telling a story, the poster introduces the characters like a theatre lineup awaiting the opening curtain. The thunderstorm in the top left signals that we are to expect a fantasy film. The writing is also kept at an absolute minimum and becomes a design element in itself. As typical for Hong Kong movie posters, the title is stated both in Chinese and English.
The vivid red background is not just scenery, it is a dedicated color panel and becomes a statement in itself. A statement that is emphasised by the straight black border.

With app. 24×39 inches, it is on the larger side for Hong Kong movie posters. Usually, a movie poster design has to conform to a standard size. Here, it feels like the size was chosen to serve the composition rather than the other way around. The graphic design of this poster focuses on maximum impact, and the size follows the design.

Any poster can fill a frame. A great poster can fill a room.

This poster absolutely demands a simple black frame, a white wall and A LOT of wall space all of its own. I can perfectly envision it in any kind of modern and/or minimalist environment.

The poster is available for purchase and will go up on the website with one of my next updates.