“The Green Wall” / 「みどりの壁」, Original Japanese Movie Poster 1971, B2 Size (51 × 73 cm) B285

This is an original Japanese B2 theatrical poster printed for the 1971 Japanese release of The Green Wall / La muralla verde / 「みどりの壁」, Armando Robles Godoy’s acclaimed 1970 Peruvian drama.

A landmark of Latin American cinema, The Green Wall combines intimate family tragedy, survival drama, and a powerful critique of impersonal state bureaucracy. It was also historically significant as the first Peruvian feature film to receive commercial theatrical distribution in Japan.

Film background

Disillusioned with the congestion and bureaucracy of Lima, Mario dreams of abandoning urban life and beginning again in the Peruvian rainforest.

Together with his wife and young son, he moves to a remote tract of land where the family attempts to create a self-sufficient home amid the immense beauty and danger of the jungle. Their idealistic escape from civilisation gradually becomes a struggle against disease, isolation, the natural environment, and an indifferent administrative system.

Written and directed by Armando Robles Godoy, the film features cinematography by Mario Robles Godoy and music by Enrique Pinilla.

The principal cast includes Julio Alemán, Sandra Riva, and Raúl Martin.

The Green Wall received the Gold Hugo at the Chicago International Film Festival and became one of the most internationally recognised Peruvian films of its period. It was particularly admired for its poetic visual language, fragmented chronology, vivid use of colour, and deeply critical treatment of bureaucracy and human vulnerability.

Poster design

The poster uses a striking, almost tactile composition dominated by an intensely textured emerald-green field, evoking the density, humidity, and oppressive physical presence of the Peruvian jungle.

The surface appears layered like thick paint or jungle foliage, giving the design a raw and organic quality.

At the centre is a large close-up of the family’s young son, Rómulo, staring upward with an expression of wonder, fear, and vulnerability. His hands grip a rough wooden post in the foreground, connecting the child directly to the family’s efforts to build a life within the wilderness.

The scale of his face against the immense green background gives the poster a strong emotional centre. It also anticipates the tragedy at the heart of the story, presenting the child as both an innocent observer and the most vulnerable member of the family.

A small photographic inset near the top shows men surveying and working upon the newly cleared land, establishing the family’s difficult attempt to transform the forest into a home.

The vertical white text along the left reads:

「文明を逃れみどりのジャングルに生きる三人家族…
鮮やかな色彩に悲しみの旋律は溶けこみ
底知れぬ感動が湧きあがる！」

“A family of three living in the green jungle after escaping civilisation… The melody of sorrow dissolves into vivid colours, and an unfathomable wave of emotion rises.”

The white vertical text at right reads:

「しみ入るように響きわたるみどりの音色は……
生きることの哀しみをだれに知らせるというのか」

“To whom does the penetrating, echoing sound of green reveal the sorrow of living?”

The Japanese title:

「みどりの壁」

is rendered across the lower section in expressive bright-yellow brush lettering, standing out dramatically against the deep green ground.

Beneath it appears the English title:

“THE GREEN WALL”

together with the credit:

“a film by Armando Robles Godoy.”

The upper-left section contains the principal production credits, cast names, and a reference to the film’s original soundtrack release through Columbia Records.

The poster’s limited palette, heavily textured surface, and vulnerable central portrait create an unusually powerful and sophisticated example of early-1970s Japanese international cinema advertising.

Release note

The Green Wall was produced in 1970 and released theatrically in Japan in 1971 through Nippon Herald Films.

This is a standard Japanese B2-size theatrical poster, measuring approximately:

51.5 × 72.8 cm / 20 × 28.7 inches

It is an original period Japanese cinema poster, not a later reproduction or commercial reprint.

Condition

Very good to excellent condition. The poster retains strong green colour, clear photographic imagery, sharp typography, and excellent overall display impact.

There are original fold lines, light surface creasing, minor marks and handling wear, and a small area of paper loss or abrasion near the upper edge. There is also light age-related wear visible on the reverse.

These imperfections are consistent with an original Japanese theatrical poster from this period and do not significantly detract from the principal imagery.

Reference: B285.

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

This is an original 1971 Japanese theatrical poster.
It is not a reproduction or a reprint.

It is now over 55 years old.

Certificate of Authenticity included.