Imagine having to hide out in a cupboard under someone’s
floor, or not being able to leave a home for weeks out of fear of being
discovered. Imagine not knowing whether someone
is coming for you tomorrow, the next day, or ever. But when someone comes, how do you trust him
or rely on his plan to work? Argo is a dramatic film about the 1980 hostage
crisis of six Americans in Tehran. The
trailer captured the storyline of the film well, and led me to believe that
this would be a drama based on a historical moment.
Right from the get go, the trailer builds its ethos by
revealing the production companies: Warner Bros and GK films. Both of these production companies are
recognizable to most movie watchers. The
film gains credibility by the actors that it stars. In the trailer it highlights the role of Ben
Affleck, a well-known actor, as more than just the star but also the
director. The trailer uses a previous
film he director, “The Town,” to build credibility to the name of Ben
Affleck. Ben Affleck is known for his
acting in the films Good Will Hunting,
Jersey Girl, and He’s Just Not That
Into You. If a company or character is well known, liked, and respected,
their reputation will contribute to its persuasive power, and this is exactly
what the name Ben Affleck does for this film (Everything’s an Argument pg.
56). At the end of the trailer, the four
most well known actors are listed which adds to the ethos. Because this is the last picture I saw, I was
able to remember the other star actors; consequently, making me want to go see
the movie.
The music during this trailer appeals to the emotions of the
viewers. The beginning of trailer is
dramatic because it captures the six prisoners hiding out in Iran. Upon arrival
of the actor John Goodman, who is known for his acting in Coyote Ugly, Trouble with the Curve, and Monsters Inc., the music changes to a more hopeful sound because
the CIA has constructed a plan for rescuing the hostages. In the final third of
the trailer, as Ben Affleck sets out to Iran, the music changes one last time
to a more intense and suspenseful tone. Along with the music, the colors in the
trailer appeal to the emotion of the viewers. Color can add a strong subconscious emotional
appeal, with warmer colors suggesting aggressiveness, violence, and stimulation
(Giannetti, color). The scenes in
the trailer are consistently dark: black, brown, and gray. These colors serve to set an intense,
dramatic, and unsettling feeling in the viewer.
The pace of the
trailer serves to add pathos to the film.
The trailer is jam packed with action scenes in the streets of Iran, the
hiding out of the hostages, and build up of the plan for liberation. The
trailer moves quickly through scenes, but at the end the pace speeds up
dramatically. For the viewer, the speed
creates a sense of pressure to fulfill a deadline. It heightens the emotion by setting a sense
of finite time to capture the prisoners. I think that since the hostages were
six Americans, some men, woman, and married couples, the emotions of the
viewers are intensified. As a fellow American, I tried to imagine myself in
that situation, and wondered if someone would risk his life to come and save
me. Furthermore, I questioned whether a married father of a young boy would
risk everything for my safety. The young
boy in the trailer, Ben Affleck’s son in the film, serves to appeal to the
sensitive side of the viewers because you wonder why a young boy is involved in
such a dangerous mission.
This R rated film
helps add to the logos because it classifies the audience that it will speak
to: adults. I think that it is important to note that this film is based on a
true story, which helps to add ethos and logos.
However, since the audience is likely adults, some of the viewers may
have been alive during this 1980 capturing in Tehran. This adds to the logic and emotion of the
viewers because they can personally relate to the film. I think that the film
builds its logic by having Ben Affleck play the lead role as the CIA officer. Casting
is characterization, and I think that the attractive Ben Affleck was well type
casted in this film (Giannetti, casting). Using Ben Affleck as the lead actor
appealed to the romantic side of viewer’s emotions.
Immediately
before the closing of the trailer, the last dramatic scene in the trailer is a
line of six possible hostages with bags over their heads waiting in line to be
shot. The placement of this scene added
to the logos because it left me wondering if the six people behind the bags
were the missing Americans. This created
a moment of intense suspicion as the trailer closed, making me want to go and
see the movie.
One aspect of
logos that I think took away from the film was the use of humor in the
trailer. There were multiple jokes that
were singled out in the trailer, which led to some suspicion of humor as a
key element. However, as a viewer, there
is nothing funny about six Americans being held hostage in Iran. I think that the humor adds some affect to
the film, but I think that it takes away from how serious this historical
moment was.
Overall I would
give this film a four out of five pickles. I think that the credibility and
logic of the trailer was strong, and it appealed to a wide array of
emotions. I believe that the trailer
sends a powerful message to the viewers about the content of the film. I felt that director Ben Affleck along with
his cast and producers provided a grip-wrenching trailer that made me want to
watch the film.
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