Social Visual Memory of the War Period Posters

Abstract

Film posters themed around the War of Independence are an important visual communication tool from a historical and cultural perspective; these posters reflect the spirit of the era while conveying the emotions and values associated with the national struggle to the audience. In this study, six film posters selected from the period between 1932 and 1959 were examined using the document analysis method, one of the qualitative research methods. The aim of the research is to reveal the narrative created by the posters in the visual culture of the period and to determine common formal strategies in terms of design criteria. Each poster was evaluated based on nine criteria: reading direction, implication, contrast, eye level, one-third division, use of space, call to action, flow priority, and perceptibility. The results were compared with a table, enabling the findings to be interpreted systematically and within their historical context. The results showed that the rule of thirds, the use of strong contrast, and directive eye lines were the fundamental formal strategies that reinforced the emphasis on national identity. These elements, combined with symbols that supported the rhetoric of heroism and collective memory (the crescent and star, the fez, the silhouette of a soldier), reflect the atmosphere of the period. Typography, colour palette, and scale contrasts have increased visual tension, facilitating the ideological transmission of the national struggle discourse. In this context, it has been concluded that the posters functioned as effective communication tools at both ideological and emotional levels.