Week3_1/29/16_ Race to the Finish Line

       Watching TV one night, a commercial came across the screen for the new movie, Race. In this movie, Jesse Owens is the main focus point. The movie takes place during the 1936 Berlin Olympics. Historically, there was a lot of discrimination due to Hitler and his ideal view of people being part of the Aryan Race. Jesse Owens wants to race, and win the gold medal to defy to the stereotypes.

       As Texas A&M University writing center states “Rhetoric is the study of how writers and speakers use words to influence an audience. A rhetorical analysis is an essay that breaks a work of non-fiction into parts and then explains how the parts work together to create a certain effect—whether to persuade, entertain or inform.” Using the appeals of logos, pathos, and ethos is crucial to make an effective movie trailer, and persuade the audience to see that particular movie.

       To me, I think the elements of a persuasive argument are shown in the trailer. When I first saw the trailer, it made me instantly want to go see it. I want to see it because it is historical, and actually happened. One part of the trailer, a trail of words pop up on the screen and read “witness the incredible true story.” This part of the trailer feeds into the appeal of logos. Logos referring to the facts, actual truth, or logic. Jesse Owens was a real person, and this movie is showing his Olympic career.

       Another eye catching part of the movie was the actors picked for the movie, and one I had particularly in mind. Jason Sudeikis is casted as Jesse Owen’s coach, helping him make it to the Berlin Olympics. Normally, I’ve seen Jason Sudeikis’s more comical roles in Saturday Night Live, We’re The Millers, and the Horrible Bosses movies. Seeing him play this non comical character really caught my attention.

       Overall, the trailer played into the appeal of pathos, because after watching it, it left this impression on me. Not to sound typical, but it made me think about how this actually happened, and the trailer left me feeling sympathetic towards Jesse Owens. I would have to say the trailer overall plays into all the appeals of persuasion. BYU states “these three appeals work together in combination toward persuasive ends.” The trailer’s audience is definitely geared towards an older crowd, more like people who were alive during that time, or an audience like college student level, because of our levels of curiosity. We were not alive during that time, but it might be a curious topic and movie we want to see.

       Race caught my attention on the TV screen, because of the story it tells, and the historical truth it tells too. I think the movie will be a success, because it will reach the audience, and persuade the audience to see it. The trailer used the appeals of logos, pathos, and ethos to tell the historical story of Jesse Owens, and the things he faces while trying to get the gold medal.