Analysis of 'Peeping Tom' DVD cover

Camera

In the foreground there is a large old fashioned film projector which dominates the picture. There is a man almost hiding behind the camera in the background, we can only see his forehead and eyes as the rest of his face is obscured either by the camera or text 'Peeping Tom'. The camera and title give the effect of framing his eyes.

I think it is very significant that there are only two things in the shot: a face and a projector. It shows us exactly what the film will be about and reinforces the anchorage of the title 'Peeping Tom'- being a phrase we are all familiar with. But at the same time, is too simple for a film creating an enigma as we want to know what the twist or induviduality will be. The film projector creates themes of voyeurism as we already know it is about a peeping tom, and the fact that the man is actually physically hiding behind the camera reinforces this voyeur idea. The title and the projector together make a frame around the man's eyes reinforcing the idea that he is hiding behind something.

Mise-en-scene

All of the cover is in sepia tone, there is light in the foreground on the man's face and projector but this light fades out at the bottom and the background although still in sepia is a very dark brown. The projector and man are facing away out to the left of the shot and are coming from the right and almost dissappearing into the dark behind them. The title is straight across the front of the cover obscuring parts of the man's face and in a contrasting bright white. The font is simple and in bold capitals.

The sepia tone gives the cover a feel of the past, also given across by the old fashioned film projector. We are not sure why this theme of the past is put across but it creates enigma, is he hiding from his past? The man and projector also seem to be reaching away from behind them and looking out in front from the right to left. I think this signifies that he is hiding form his past and looking out into the future, again creating enigma as we don't know what in his past he is hiding or trying to run away from. This idea is also reinforced by the dark background compared to the foreground and the fade at the bottom. I think that the title is branded across the man's face like an accusation and feels like it should be shouted as it is accentuated by the bright white, bold and capitols.

People

There is only one person on the cover, and it is a CU of their head, the top of their hair is cut off and their neck and ear are obscured by the projector. The man's eyes are his most prominent feature and match ou own eye level as we look at the cover, however they are looking away off screen. The man is young and handsome, with a classic hollywood face.

As this man is only person on the cover we know almost 100% that he is the 'Peeping Tom' the title refers to or at least anyway that he will be central to th film. The man's eyes are framed and at our own level but looking away, this is obviously meant to draw us to his eyes signifying the fact that they are looking away, possibly to show he is ashamed or as i said earlier looking to the future away from his past. The fact that the man has a normal young handsome face shows that he is not a stereotypical killer, mass-murderer or psychopath and perhaps a soci-path showing us that anyone can be a murderer.