Polish movie posters rarely offer "literal translations of the plot" — but rather experiment with social ideas and critiques.
Ridley Scott's Alien, 1979.
Barbarella, 1968.
The Blues Brothers, 1980.
Cabaret, 1972.
Blade Runner, 1982.
Casablanca, 1947.
Orson Welles' Citizen Kane, 1948.
Disney's Dumbo, 1961.
Star Wars: A New Hope, 1978.
Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, 1980.
Godzilla, 1957.
King Kong Escapes, 1968.
Raiders of the Lost Ark, 1981.
Oftentimes, Polish movie posters were so out of bounds of what you'd expect — especially if you've seen the film — that you'd probably need to stop for a moment to take the whole piece in.Gallery Hip
Rosemary's Baby, 1968.
An alternate poster for Rosemary's Baby.
The Fly, 1986.
The Shining, 1980.
Young Frankenstein, 1974.
Terms of Endearment, 1983.
John Carpenter's Starman, 1984.
Tootsie, 1982.
The World War II film Tora! Tora! Tora!, 1970.
Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo, 1958.
Working Girl, 1988.
Apocalypse Now, 1979.
The French Lieutenant's Woman, 1981.
Alfred Hitchcock's Family Plot, 1976.
Nosferatu the Vampyre, 1979.
The Birds, 1963.
Raging Bull, 1980.
During the Cold War, Polish artists approached movie posters differently from the rest of the world. Instead of using stills or headshots, they often created imagery inspired by the movies themselves.
The result was a vibrant, eclectic collection of colorful posters that ended up looking more like pieces of art than advertisements stuck to the front of a movie theater. While the depictions of American cinema were often mind-boggling, they were also stunning — and thoughtful.
Some of them are so outside the bounds of what we'd expect a movie poster to be that they have to be seen to be believed. Discover some of the most eye-popping Polish movie posters in the gallery above.
The Early Days Of Poster Making In Poland
Wikimedia CommonsStanisław Wyspiański, depicted in this self portrait, was a Polish poster maker at the end of the 19th century.
Poland has a long history with posters. Starting in the 1890s, artists would produce colorful posters to promote art exhibitions, theater performances, and ballets. They mixed popular styles like Japanism, Jugendstil, Secessionist, and Cubism with traditional symbolism and Polish folklore. This often led to thought-provoking and unique designs.
The artists' work was so admired that the city of Krakow announced the first "International Exposition of the Poster" in 1898. Its organizer, Jan Wdowiszewski, believed that posters should combine artistic and utilitarian value, present a critical view of reality, and fit in at both art galleries and alleyways. There's no question that many Polish posters fit that description.
Between World War I and World War II, the purpose of posters changed slightly. Instead of promoting artistic events and performances, many posters were more geared toward advertising products. Other posters would promote Poland itself and encourage tourists to visit the country.
Poster techniques also became increasingly specific, as experts were eager to weigh in on what made a certain poster "good" or "bad." For this time period, the Department of Architecture at Warsaw Technical University once described the ideal poster as: "Based on sophisticated humor, a maximum of synthesis, and a masterly use of color."
How Polish Posters Changed During The Cold War
Wikimedia CommonsDuring the Cold War, it was common to see Polish people waiting in long lines outside of state-run grocery stores.
Polish posters really hit their stride during the age of Communism. From 1952 to 1989, the Soviet bloc controlled Poland, and posters were often the only spots of color along the gray, quiet streets in Polish cities.
Around this time, many artists sought to "outsmart censorship with subtle wit." Posters thus became the perfect way to accomplish this goal.
Often, poster makers were hired in-house by theaters, operas, and museums. This resulted in many unique perspectives on popular films. More often than not, Polish artists avoided a "literal translation of the plot" and instead sought to express the overall mood of the movie.
Doing so allowed for creative expression and commentary on life in Poland that otherwise may have gone unaddressed. So it's no surprise that movie posters of the era were a unique mix of art, politics, and film. Many of them offered powerful — yet subtle — political commentaries.
Polish movie posters dwindled in production throughout the 1970s, and all but disappeared by the late 1980s. In 1989, film distribution was privatized, meaning that the once vibrant art form was dead.
But even though it's dead, it's certainly not forgotten. The Poster Museum in Poland houses over 50,000 vintage posters that guests can still enjoy today. Visitors can take a colorful walk down memory lane and experience some of the wildest movie posters ever created in the country.
After looking through these vintage Polish movie posters, check out these vintage Soviet propaganda posters. Then, take a look back at some of the most iconic old loves from Hollywood.
