The shadows in this image particularly connote the film noir genre.

The positioning of them above each character divides the motives of each character, and separates their identities. This is emphasised through the variety of spacing in between each one, and the shape created. The shadows also rise above to meet the characters names, creating the link between the actors and the film itself.

The layering of the poster is rather linear and is therefore reminiscent of the police suspect line up. This linear style gives a uniformed, tidy appearance to the filmsymbolising the killing of each character one by one- a thorough and meticulous process.

The overall image of the police suspect line up adheres to the film noir genre due to the immediate connotation of violence and crime. The dark clothing of the first three men is juxtaposed to the lighter, fresher clothing of the last two, which again divides the characters and relates to the plot of the filmjuxtaposition of motives.

The characters appear fairly small in size, in comparison to the rest of the poster. This in turn elongates the appearance of the shadows even further. This effect adds to the sinister film noir style and consequently almost adds a vulnerable sense to the character- opposing their violent nature.

The title 'The Usual Suspects' is bold and appealing- heightening the marketing of the film. However, the word 'the' lacks a capital letter, posing an emphasis on the theme of suspects and drawing attention to the unusual term of 'Usual Suspects' rather than the ordinary 'Unusual Suspects'. The title is placed at the bottom of the film in order to create the elongated effect of mystery and suspense, before seeing the actual name of the film.

The anchorage text of 'Five criminals, [...] no coincidence' immediately adds to the suspense and intrigue of the film- appealing to a wider audience. The white serif text contrasts the previous text at the top of the film, and therefore creates a rather disjointed tone to the poster. The white of the text stands out against the black bottom and consequently depicts the internal purity against the black sin.

The black sans serif text placed at the top of the poster creates an importance upon those in the film and heightens the marketing of the film and appeal. The black lettering links to the grey shadows and overall darkest themes of the narrative. However the lettering also juxtaposes the fresh pure white of the background, suggesting a conflict of characters or a transformation of motives.