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 Post subject: Rhetorical Analysis of the Fellowship of the Ring trailer
PostPosted: Thu Feb 28, 2013 2:05 am 
Elven Elder
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I have an English 101 assignment wherein I have to write a 5-7 page paper about the Fellowship of the Ring Theatrical Trailer. It is to be about the rhetorical devices and how they are used to convey a simple truth that applies to all mankind. A link to the trialer is below.

Anyhow, I think I've got the gist of what I'm going to write about, but I wanted everyone's overall opinion on the message that the trailer, JUST the trailer, is trying to convey. Obviously you can use your own knowledge of LotR in this, but I have to write pretty much ONLY about the trailer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pki6jbSb ... r_embedded

The following is my general thoughts, but please read them only after you form your own opinions, as it would be a much greater help to me if your opinion wasn't tainted as it were by mine. It's also a wall of text, which is why i'm "spoilering" it.

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In the year 2001, something was going to happen that had long been thought impossible: a live action Lord of the Rings movie was going to be released. The Lord of the Rings was a novel written by J.R.R. Tolkien in 1954, when it became an instant classic, eventually becoming the second best-selling novel ever. It has inspired generations of readers with it’s heroic characters and immortal telling of an epic struggle between good and the ultimate evil. Despite the incredible amount of fans, the book was always thought to be impossible to bring to the big screen in live action due to the scale and fantastical nature of the novel. After securing the rights and funds for a trilogy of films, director Peter Jackson set about trying to prove the common sentiment wrong by creating what has been labeled as the “most ambitious film series” ever. Before his masterpiece could come to theaters, however, he had to ensure that it would be a financial success, so the theatrical trailer for the first of his three films, The Fellowship of the Ring, had to be able to convey the feel of one of the most beloved stories in modern history.
Many readers (myself included) interpret The Lord of the Rings as teaching that no matter how small or insignificant you are, all that is required for you change the world is courage and a little help from your friends. The trailer for Fellowship of the Ring would have to convey a similar interpretation or the book’s legions of fans would boycott (after seeing for themselves a few times) the films with all the vehemence that comes with diehard fandom. Even though fans of the book made up a large segment of the targeted audience of the movies, they wouldn’t be a real success without the general public attending, so the trailer would also have to be able to reach those who hadn’t read the book. Because of it’s broad audience, the trailer used a variety of rhetorical devices to express the importance of courage.


Thanks in advance for any comments!

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 Post subject: Re: Rhetorical Analysis of the Fellowship of the Ring traile
PostPosted: Thu Feb 28, 2013 7:42 pm 
Loremaster
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I quit halfway through because my internet is trying to kill me, but here's what I thought:

In mythical times there was a Dark Lord, who derived his power from a Ring managed to lose. Now it has been found by an unsuspecting little country man, who must set out to destroy the Ring in the vulcano where it was made.

On rethorical devices: A lot of hyperbole (not quite the most unlikely person imaginable, just the Ring won't make Sauron cover all the lands in darkness), and a few cases of sententia (Fate has chosen him). It went a bit too quick to find any wording-specific ones (alliterations and the like).

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 Post subject: Re: Rhetorical Analysis of the Fellowship of the Ring traile
PostPosted: Thu Feb 28, 2013 8:09 pm 
Elven Elder
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Well, what overall message would you say it sends, other than "SEE THIS MOVIE NOW'? I know it's a weird question, but it's what I have to right about. I'm at school right now, actually about to get my teacher to look over what I've written so far, so I'll put the exact wording of the question when i get home.

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 Post subject: Re: Rhetorical Analysis of the Fellowship of the Ring traile
PostPosted: Wed Mar 13, 2013 7:01 pm 
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Overall message I couldn't do, because I only watched half. I'll try again tomorrow, or maybe friday, whenever I have more time...

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 Post subject: Re: Rhetorical Analysis of the Fellowship of the Ring traile
PostPosted: Thu Mar 14, 2013 8:12 am 
Elven Elder
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I just watched the trailer which gave me the old goose bumps again. Stunning, simply stunning.
Anyway, the point I see for the trailer is the finding of the link that could unleash insurmountable evil. By placing it in the hand of the most humble of creatures adds to the pending doom. Yet there is hope in true friends ( a key point I feel ) it clearly suggests the odds are massively against them and the trailer makes you feel, how on earth do you get out of that lot in one piece. Is it possible to succeed against impossible odds ?

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