When Olivier Assayas' Carlos came out a few years ago, I immediately gravitated towards the great retro one-sheet, designed by Sam's Myth, that accompanied its U.S. theatrical release. The poster reminded me of the clean, attractive, and almost uniform design of so many Paramount titles of the late '60s - '80s. These would often have a large square image, with black on white billing block below, all surrounded by a white border. This layout isn't limited to Paramount by any means, but it seems more prevalent in Paramount titles and for a longer period.
My friend and Brooklyn neighbor Adrian has written about this style and era, with a focus on thriller and espionage titles, while not calling particular attention to Paramount or any other studio, but rather influential ad man and designer Stephen Frankfurt, at his Movie Poster of the Week column here and here. Perhaps it's Frankfurt, with his iconic designs for Rosemary's Baby and Downhill Racer for Paramount who's most responsible for laying the foundation for the Paramount key art layouts for the next couple decades.
The de-saturated, two-tone treatment of the image on the Carlos poster is specifically reminiscent of these one-sheets:
