Originally posted by: Yoda Is Your Father
It looks like a piece of Stalinist Propaganda.

Not necessarily. Compare with real propaganda poster.
As much as I hate this ESB poster (yes, I think it sucks, honestly), I would like to "defend" it in a way.

As I said before, the "artsy-fartsy" posters, as opposed to "hollywoodish" ones do not have to contain faces of the main cast etc. - they're often weird, to shock the potential viewer and draw his attention. Can you see Jack Nicholson in this 'Chinatown' poster? Or Dustin Hoffman here? And who is this mysterious Godfather? BTW: have you ever been to a poster exhibition in art gallery?

This ESB poster shows how sci-fi was perceived before the coming of "Star Wars". Compare this ufologist's book cover. Any flying saucers, any green/gray little men with big black eyes? It doesn't look as much "ufo-ish" as it should, right?

Such posters are made when the artist is given some (too much?

) liberty. Today we usually want the message to be unequivocal, because it has to be clear for the masses, which are ...not so bright ...err... I wanted to say: "not so sensitive to the subtle art"

Commerce kills art.

Samples taken from www.theartofposter.com website, where they also offer some of those posters for sale (yes, those weird SW posters, too! )