“La Lectrice” (読書する女), Original Japanese Movie Poster 1988, B2 Size (51 × 73 cm) ZA1130

This is an original Japanese B2 theatrical poster printed in 1988 for the Japanese release of La Lectrice (読書する女), the acclaimed French film directed by Michel Deville and starring Miou-Miou. Elegant, literary, and gently provocative, the film is one of the most distinctive French art-house titles of its period, and Japanese posters for it are especially appealing for their refined and highly individual graphic treatment.

Film background

Released in 1988, La Lectrice follows a woman whose life becomes intertwined with the act of reading itself, as books, voice, fantasy, desire, and performance begin to overlap in unexpected ways. Directed by Michel Deville and anchored by Miou-Miou’s finely judged central performance, the film has long been admired for its intelligence, wit, and quietly sensual tone. It belongs to that particularly French tradition of cinema in which literature, erotic suggestion, and psychological play are held in delicate balance.

For collectors, part of the film’s appeal lies in exactly that mood: it is not loud or sensational, but subtle, cultured, and unmistakably of the late-1980s European art-cinema world.

Poster design

This is a superb and highly elegant Japanese design, markedly different from more conventional Western campaign materials. The poster is built around a soft, impressionistic illustration of a walking woman rendered in delicate charcoal and pastel tones, carrying a yellow book beneath a long coat and scarf. The image has a light, sketch-like quality that perfectly suits the film’s literary and introspective atmosphere.

The large Japanese title at the bottom is beautifully integrated into the composition, while the vertical red line at right — asking, in effect, whether it is a crime to read romantically — adds a subtle note of provocation. At left, the vertical text highlights the film’s critical recognition, including the 1988 Louis Delluc Prize and the Grand Prix at the 1988 Montreal World Film Festival. Altogether, it is an unusually poetic and refined country-of-origin poster, and one that works exceptionally well as a display piece.

Condition

Excellent. Please review the photos—they show the exact poster for sale. 

It is over 38 years old!

It is not a reproduction or a reprint.

Certificate of Authenticity included.