Eagle in a Cage- Polish Release

A caged bird wears the hat of Napoleon, its feathers bound by black bars and its eye ablaze with red. Jerzy Flisak’s design for the 1972 historical war drama Eagle in a Cage transforms the story of exile into a bold, symbolic image. Directed by Fielder Cook, the film stars Kenneth Haigh as Napoleon Bonaparte, alongside John Gielgud, Ralph Richardson, Billie Whitelaw, and Moses Gunn. The narrative follows Napoleon during his final years on Saint Helena, when the once-mighty conqueror was reduced to a captive of circumstance. Flisak distills this into one unforgettable metaphor: the eagle, emblem of power and empire, reduced to confinement. The purple ground intensifies the drama, while the stylized bird merges portraiture and political symbol in the unmistakable style of the Polish School of Posters. Rather than literal illustration, Flisak’s poster interprets the film through metaphor, a hallmark of Poland’s poster tradition. It stands as both cinematic promotion and a striking piece of mid-20th-century graphic design, where history, politics, and art converge. Size: 32.50" x 22.75" Artist: Jerzy Flisak Condition: Very Good, Age-appropriate wear, fading and toning. Original centerfold present. Light border wear. Wear in corners from previous hanging. Please use the photo zoom feature to get a better understanding of overall condition. *Additional photos available upon request.