The Ashes Remaining Movie Poster
Passage used: Ways of Seeing by John Berger, page 8
The Ashes Remaining is a movie that shows John Lark during his adult life when he is on top of the criminal underworld while dealing with his crippling depression in ways where he unintentionally helps people. The movie shows two worlds and two sides of a fascinating and confusing man, attempting to make the audience look at the world similarly.
The title is inspired by the passage Ways of Seeing by John Berger.
"Nevertheless their idea of Hell owed a lot to the sight of fire consuming and the ashes remaining – as well as to their experience of the pain of burns."
This phrase has a narrative function to the poster because it describes how the main character views his life. Due to all of the bad he does, all there is in the world are ashes or scraps, and all he can do is fumble around trying to pick up the pieces. Under the main title, there is a subtitle quote that says:
"Beware the devil and the angel of John Larks twisted heart."
This quote hints at the plot, showing that Lark does have a heart, but it has a devil that will do terrible things to get the job done or, in his mind, protect those around him. There is also an angel, which is the attempt for redemption, but the quote says to fear this because someone who lives two lives is bound for a collision at some point. Below is the writer, director, and lead actor Jacob Klaff, who represents how life can significantly impact a person. Tom Hardy is the strong, ruthless, and loyal right-hand man in the crime syndicate, and Emma Watson plays the innocent civilian that Lark ends up helping.
The colors and imagery on the poster work towards the plot as well. A white background of the poster gives a sort of blank feeling. That signifies that life is not a fairy tale; people get hurt and suffer, and in the end, it will more likely be realistic and cold than a warm fuzzy, happy ending. In the middle is the longing face of Lark, who can be thinking a multitude of things like what bank is getting robbed next or how can I live with myself. He is surrounded by darkness, highlighting how there is an overwhelming amount of disparate in his life. The red streaks next to the black and the red font show the blood on his hands; blood does not wash off that easily. Overall, the poster shows these potentially volatile two faces while making everyone wonder what he will do next. To be honest, he does not know either.
