Poster analysis

Grand theft auto 5 spring 2013 release poster

In the image we see a character standing in the down town part of a city. This seems like a part of the city where crime is high due to the background setting. This is shown through the grimy liquor store sign and the types of buildings displayed. The background shows us that this is a bit of a rough area and that the character in this image has had to take defence in the form of a large dog and a weapon. The character in this shot is clearly the focal point of the piece and he is shown holding a baseball bat and keeping hold of a large barking Rottweiler on a metal chain. The character is holding these objects to help show that he is someone who is tough and is someone who you should think about approaching or trying to start a fight with.

Society has come to see the Rottweiler as a dangerous dog and therefore, this animal can be used to set fear and caution into those who around the character in shot. The dogs collar looks aggressive which can give another edge to the characteristics of the dog and we can also see the name of the dog on the name tag, giving some personality to the dog. The dog is being held strongly back on a metal chain which is wrapped around the characters hand which makes it seem like he has to fight with the dog to hold him back from what we can’t see in front of him.

The character is hold a baseball bat which we don’t look at innocently, it is interpreted as an object which will be used as a weapon, rather than for sport. The character is holding it in a relaxed manner where he is able to show it to others in the foreground, out of shot.

The character in shot is black and because of the situation and surrounding, the creator of this piece wanted to show someone who is comes across as a dominant person. This might come across as racist but, if this piece was recreated with a white person, it might not give the same effect because of the stereotype that black people are all thugs and gangsters in America. I feel that this common stereotype allows us to look at this image and think that it is normal for this situation, as opposed to the main character in this shot being white. We might look at it and might question why a white man in this situation and surroundings is. This is all because of our common stereotype towards black people is that this is a normal scene that we could come across in downtown America.