“Fargo” (ファーゴ), Original Japanese Movie Poster 1996, B2 Size (51 × 73 cm) J128

This is an original Japanese B2 poster issued in Japan for Fargo, the Coen brothers’ modern crime classic—an icy, pitch-black moral fable that disguises itself as a “small” Midwestern thriller and quietly becomes something far bigger. This particular example is exceptional: unused cinema dead-stock, sourced directly from the remaining inventory of a theatre that has since closed.

Film background
Released in 1996 and directed by Joel Coen (with Ethan Coen), Fargo follows a botched kidnapping scheme that unravels into greed, panic, and sudden violence—set against an almost comically vast, white winter landscape. Frances McDormand’s performance as the quietly formidable police chief Marge Gunderson anchors the film with warmth and human decency, giving the story its unforgettable tonal balance: funny, brutal, and strangely tender all at once.

Poster design
A masterclass in restraint. The poster is dominated by an expansive, near-blank field of snow—so much negative space it feels like silence—broken only by the small, shocking image of a body facedown in the drift, a dark trail cutting through the white. The oversized title 「ファーゴ」 floats at the top like a frozen headline, while the vertical copy at right reads 「人間はおかしくて、哀しい」 (“People are strange—and sad”), perfectly capturing the film’s bleak humour. The overall effect is gallery-minimal: calm, cold, and deeply unsettling.

Rarity and condition
Japanese B2s for major international titles can survive in mixed condition, but true unused dead-stock examples—especially with this much clean white space—are significantly harder to find. Because this copy was never displayed, the presentation is crisp and refined, with outstanding wall impact.

Condition
Excellent, close to Near Mint (Unused “Dead Stock”). Please review the photos—they show the exact poster for sale.

It is over 30 years old!
It is not a reproduction or a reprint.
Certificate of Authenticity included.