Rhetorical Choices in the Film "Spotlight"

"Spotlight is a terse, low-key, terrifically scripted gem of a movie, with perhaps the best ensemble acting of any of the nominated pictures. It is a story for our time, of our time, and emblematic of our time." (Ramsey Marshall)

The film "Spotlight" is an "American biographical drama film" directed by Tom McCarthy, which the film expands and tells us the story of the Boston Globe's team, "Spotlight." This team was and still is an investigative journalism group in the United States. This film primarily focuses on an investigation, that occurred in 2001, which then led to the "widespread and systemic child sex abuse by Roman Catholic priests in the Boston area," while also emphasizing several rhetorical choices throughout the film.

While this film can reveal several themes, some say that the main point of this film is to show the "exploration of power and powerlessness; of choices and being chosen; of asking questions and covering up answers," and of the use of different rhetorical choices. The Film "Spotlight," uses several rhetorical choices such as egos, pathos, and logos, in which it strategically conveys the power of investigative journalism and its gravity. For example, Logos, which is primarily based on fact, is emphasized in this film through the systematic and logical revealing of the evidence and the scandal,while Pathos is emphasized by the use of the personal stories of each of the victims who went through abuse. Pathos is inspired by an emotional response and is used to emotionally connect with your audience and help and allow them to feel with the character, and this is exactly what the film applied as they used the victim's personal stories. Lastly, Ethos, which is established through trust and personal credentials, was emphasized throughout this film to establish a sense of credibility from the journalist throughout their research process. These rhetorical choices conveyed through film emphasize the importance of integrity, emotional response, and logic when uncovering the truth and investigative reporting in this society.

• https://hyperbolit.com/2020/06/21/how-to-understand-any-speech-your-guide-to-ethos-pathos-logos/

• https://gradesfixer.com/free-essay-examples/the-analysis-of-the-film-spotlight-directed-by-tom-mccarthy/

• https://medium.com/co-existence/the-movie-spotlight-tells-a-story-of-asking-questions-and-covering-up-answers-ab91a330227
  

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