Movie Posters by Angelo Cesselon

Fabrizio del Wrongo writes:

One of the great artists of Italian movie posters, Angelo Cesselon was known for his energetic, brushy style and his ability to nail celebrity likenesses. It’s no surprise, then, that he went on to a distinguished career as a portrait artist, painting important figures such as the Pope.

The below gallery shows Cesselon working in a number of moods, from the exploitation fury of his take on “The Born Losers” to the moonlit placidity of his two paintings for Mizoguchi’s great “Ugetsu.” But my favorite of the group is his poster for “Lana, Queen of the Amazons.” I’ve never seen the movie — and I’m not sure Cesselon had either — but that image sure makes me want to. On the other hand, his dual versions of “Persona” don’t quite come off. I don’t think Cesselon’s style was suited to Bergman’s heavier films.