“Barton Fink” / 「バートン・フィンク」, Original Japanese Video Release Poster 1992, B2 Size (51 × 73 cm) S23

This is an original Japanese B2 promotional poster printed for the 1992 Japanese home-video release of Barton Fink / 「バートン・フィンク」, the Coen brothers’ darkly comic psychological thriller starring John Turturro and John Goodman.

Featuring Columbia Video and Kuzui Enterprises branding, this particular design advertises the film’s August 1 rental launch, with subtitled and Japanese-dubbed editions released simultaneously.

The poster combines an unsettling close-up of Turturro with prominent references to the film’s remarkable success at the 1991 Cannes Film Festival.

Film background

Set in 1941, the story follows Barton Fink, a New York playwright whose recent theatrical success earns him an invitation to work in Hollywood.

Determined to write about ordinary people, Barton finds himself employed to produce a wrestling picture for a studio whose commercial priorities clash with his artistic ambitions.

He takes a room in the oppressive Hotel Earle, where the heat, strange noises, and atmosphere of decay become increasingly difficult to separate from his own mounting anxiety.

Unable to make progress on his screenplay, Barton develops a friendship with Charlie Meadows, the apparently good-natured insurance salesman occupying the neighbouring room. Their relationship draws him into events far more disturbing than the professional frustrations that first brought him to Los Angeles.

The film blends Hollywood satire, black comedy, and psychological horror, exploring artistic ambition, self-deception, and the uneasy relationship between a writer and the people he claims to understand.

Joel Coen directed the film, Ethan Coen produced it, and the brothers wrote the screenplay together.

The principal cast includes:

John Turturro
John Goodman
Judy Davis
Michael Lerner
John Mahoney
Jon Polito

The cinematography is by Roger Deakins, with music by Carter Burwell.

At the 1991 Cannes Film Festival, the film won the Palme d’Or, Best Director for Joel Coen, and Best Actor for John Turturro—an achievement that became central to its Japanese marketing.

Poster design

This striking Japanese design builds its impact around an enormous, tightly cropped portrait of John Turturro as Barton Fink.

His round spectacles, wide eyes, slightly open mouth, and towering dark hair fill almost the entire sheet. The close framing gives the viewer little visual breathing space, echoing the character’s increasingly claustrophobic world.

A small mosquito rests on his forehead, casting an exaggerated shadow across his skin. This unsettling detail turns an ordinary irritation into something ominous, reflecting the film’s ability to make everyday objects and sounds feel threatening.

The image is rendered in rich orange, amber, and dark brown tones, with a pronounced photographic grain that intensifies its overheated atmosphere.

Across the top and down the upper-right edge, white lettering on black reads:

「今年最大の話題作、8月1日レンタル開始」

Translated:

“The year’s most talked-about film—available to rent from August 1!”

A tall black strip along the left carries the Cannes emblem and the announcement:

「1991年カンヌ国際映画祭史上初三冠受賞作品」

Translated:

“The first triple-award-winning film in Cannes Film Festival history—1991.”

The individual awards are also identified immediately above the main title.

The enormous Japanese title:

「バートン・フィンク」

“Barton Fink”

stretches across the lower portrait in vivid red lettering, standing out against the darker tones of Barton’s jacket.

A purple information band anchors the bottom, carrying filmmaker and cast credits, technical details, and the Columbia Video and Kuzui Enterprises marks.

The orange lettering within this band reads:

「字幕版・日本語吹替え版同時発売」

Translated:

“Subtitled and Japanese-dubbed versions released simultaneously.”

These rental and format announcements give the poster its distinct promotional identity, documenting how the film was introduced to Japanese home-video audiences.

Condition

Excellent condition. 

Reference: S23.

Please review the photographs carefully, as they show the exact poster for sale.

This is an original Japanese promotional poster from the film’s 1992 home-video release campaign.
It is not a reproduction or a reprint.

It is now over 34 years old.

Certificate of Authenticity included.