Gestalt Theory

Here are some examples of gestalt theory in movie posters.

The first is from the remake of "A Nightmare on Elm Street." Anyone interested in seeing this movie is familiar with the villain, and all they need to see is the brim of his hat, a hint of his sweater, and most importantly that clawed hand, and they know it's Freddy Krueger. This is the rule of simplicity. The black and red of the poster add to the darkness and fear the poster is intended to instill.

Second is a poster from "Lord of War." Again, this is simply a picture of Nic Cage's head, but when looked at closely, you can see that his entire face is made of ammunition. What seems like the rule of simplicity, and still is if the viewer sees simply the face, is actually the use of figure/ground taking a bunch of small objects (the ammunition) to create a big one (the face).