Rhetorical Analysis of a Film Essay
Overview As we’ve been discussing in class, rhetoric has powerful connections to the way we construct and interpret arguments. To extend our discussion of rhetoric and screen culture, and to strengthen your analytical writing skills, you will investigate and systematically analyze a film we watch during and outside of class. You will use our course readings to frame and develop your analysis. Your objective is to convince an academic audience to agree with a central claim you make about the rhetoric of the film.
Getting Started
STEP 1: Become familiar with your subject.
We will watch most if not all of the film together and you will want to review scenes you plan to focus on outside of class. You will be provided with a worksheet to help organize some of your note taking, and you are encouraged to take additional notes on key threads, scenes, characters, notes, etc.
STEP 2: Formulate questions. Once you’ve viewed the film, begin formulating questions to drive your analysis. For example:
• What claims does The Social Network make about Facebook specifically, and social media more generally?
• To what extent does the film invite us to sympathize with–or critique–the millennial generation?
• What claims about gender relations does the film make?
• What competing narratives of success are depicted in the film? To what extent does the film attempt to persuade viewers to agree with or critique a particular definition of success?
**The above questions are NOT EXHAUSTIVE but merely offer examples of types of questions that may yield nuanced, focused thesis statements.**
STEP 3: Return to the readings. Which of our course readings might help you explain what you’re observing and answer your questions? Which might help you identify other points for analysis? What key concepts drawn from our course readings are central to the film’s message? How are audiences likely to respond to the strategies used?
Requirements
DUE: Friday, November 13th: Online as an Attachment to Isidore in this Assignment AND printed and given to me at the beginning of class
Length: 4 pages plus a Works Cited page (typed, double-spaced, 12-point Times New Roman font and in MLA format)
The essay must meaningfully integrate material from at least 2 of the sources we read/experienced during this unit (one may derive from a previous unit if relevant.)
Your essay must include an MLA-formatted Works Cited page, with an entry for each source cited in the paper, in addition to the film being analyzed. You must include appropriate in-text citations.
You must include an introduction that offers basic information (general summary) about the film, relevant context, and rationale for the analysis.
Your essay should be driven by a clear, debatable thesis that makes a claim about the film’s rhetoric.
That thesis should be supported with clearly defined points of analysis
All points should be supported with evidence from the film and the sources from class.
Your essay must anticipate and respond to the counterarguments of your readers.
Your essay should end with a meaningful conclusion that underscores the relevance of your analysis to a larger conversation.

Questions to Ask
WHO: (Author) Who wrote/produced the film? What do the creators have at stake?
WHO: (Audience) Who is the film designed to reach? What are their demographics? What are their shared values? What values does the author share? Who might respond differently?
WHAT: What is the primary goal or function of the film? What are the viewers supposed to do, feel, or believe after viewing the piece?
WHERE/WHEN: What context led to this film being created? How does the context impact the way readers respond to the film?
WHY: Why does the film matter? What attitudes does it reflect? What conversations does it complicate? What stereotypes does it perpetuate or resist?
HOW: How is the message constructed? What are the claims? What evidence or reasoning is provided? How is credibility established and maintained? How is the audience supposed to feel?

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