This is an original Japanese B2 theatrical poster printed for a 1978 re-release of Akira Kurosawa’s The Idiot (白痴)—Kurosawa’s ambitious, large-scale adaptation of Fyodor Dostoevsky’s novel. Notably, the copy on the poster references the film’s long absence from circulation (“27 years of silence”), aligning with a late-1970s revival campaign for this title.
Film background
Released in Japan in 1951 and later heavily discussed for its original longer cut, The Idiot transposes Dostoevsky’s tragic love triangle into postwar Hokkaido. Kurosawa’s version is hauntingly atmospheric—snowbound landscapes, psychological intensity, and a moral collision between innocence and obsession. The film stars Masayuki Mori, Setsuko Hara, and Toshirō Mifune, with Kurosawa pushing melodrama into something stark, adult, and emotionally destabilising.
Poster design
A powerful monochrome composition dominated by the bold kanji title 白痴. The central circular portrait (Setsuko Hara) floats above two opposing male profiles, forming a tense visual triangle that mirrors the film’s emotional structure. The surrounding typography leans into the “rediscovered masterpiece” framing—serious, dramatic, and unmistakably late-Showa in its high-contrast, editorial impact.
Condition
Very Good / Excellent. Please review the photos—they show the exact poster for sale.
It is not a reproduction or a reprint.
It is over 48 years old!
Certificate of Authenticity included.
