Elements of a conventional
magazine are evident as part of
the large brand name Total
Film. This includes a strong
masthead in the top third of the
page, with cover lines, a
barcode, a main image and
several secondary images
around the composition.
The font and style of the
Shutter Island Title is
the same that is used in
the poster and trailer,
showing the exclusivity
of this issue of Total Film
to the films themes. The
colour scheme that is
used is also re-used
throughout the page,
with puffs and cover
lines resembling the
design.
The composition of this cover is
conventional, as the main image
displays a longshot that has the
characters eye-line at the line of
the top third, incorporating some
direct mode of address towards
the audience with the way the
figure is faced. This strongly
suggests this characters large
importance to the films narrative
and the obscurity, and shadowing
that is put onto his body alongside
symbolism like his weapon
connotes a darkness to this
characters representation and
forms Proairetic codes.
The blue, white and grey of the
cover gives a very cold tone to
the image, connoting dark and
depressing themes in the film,
with the mist and cloudy
weather acting as a semantic
code (Roland Barthes) of
foreshadowing.