The promotional art work for Jonathan Demme’s 1991 thriller includes a demise’s-head hawkmoth superimposed over Jodie Foster’s mouth. This placing imagery, drawn from Thomas Harris’s novel, symbolizes each the movie’s themes of transformation and the killer Buffalo Invoice’s need to craft a “girl swimsuit” from his victims’ pores and skin. The precise moth chosen, Acherontia atropos, additional reinforces the morbid themes with its skull-like marking and title referencing the mythological river of woe.
This iconic design turned immediately recognizable and performed a big function within the movie’s advertising and subsequent cultural influence. It successfully conveyed the psychological thriller elements of the story whereas hinting on the disturbing nature of the antagonist. The poster’s success lies in its potential to create each intrigue and unease, drawing audiences into the darkish world of the movie. Its enduring presence in common tradition speaks to its efficient visible communication of complicated themes.