Close Reading #1

                After studying rhetoric in class, I found it interesting to look at the use of rhetoric in a variety of works, including movie reviews. Roger Ebert’s review of “Finding Nemo” uses several aspects of rhetoric to draw readers in and make them want to watch it. Most prominently, Ebert uses imagery, diction, and details to give the movie a positive review.

                Ebert is quite impressed by the visual aspects of the movie and uses vivid imagery to compliment it. When he says, “The movie takes place almost entirely under the sea, in the world of colorful tropical fish--the flora and fauna of a shallow warm-water shelf not far from Australia”(Ebert), he paints a colorful picture of a lively shallow reef that makes readers want to see what he is talking about. His use of imagery makes readers curious about the unique possibilities of an under-sea setting. It makes the audience step back and appreciate the stunning visual components of the movie that they may not have noticed otherwise.

                Ebert’s diction also helps him make this movie seem as appealing to everyone else as it is to him. He uses colloquial diction so that his point can be easily understood by all of his readers. Because he wants readers to focus on how good the film is, he doesn’t want them to get caught up in difficult language. Ebert uses abstract words (such as “inspiration,” “invention,” and “dangers”) so that the readers still have room to imagine what the movie will be like and be excited to find out. He doesn’t want them to go into the movie already knowing exactly what everything is like.  He also uses some concrete nouns when describing the people involved in making the movie. He wants to give credit where credit is due for this movie that he enjoys so much, so he uses specific nouns when talking about the voice actors, writers, and directors (he specifically names “William Dafoe,” “Albert Brooks,” “Andrew Stanton,” and more). His use of colloquial diction with a combination of abstract and concrete specific words, as well as his diction’s positive connotation (as seen by the use of words such as “beauty,” “pleasures,” and cheerful”) help Ebert write a strong review that makes readers want to watch “Finding Nemo.”

                When writing a movie review, it is important to add enough details so that the reader has a general idea of what the movie is about, but not so many as to rob the audience of the ability to think about the movie for themselves and imagine what it is going to be like. Ebert does a good job of including just enough detail to get readers hooked. He adds details about the tropical reef setting, but he doesn’t bore readers with individual descriptions of what every fish looks like. He lets reader see that for themselves. He stays focused in his summary, and doesn’t get too caught up in minute details. However, he makes sure to include the endearing qualities about each of the characters- for example he mentions that Merlin worries so much about Nemo because he is all he has left (Ebert), making us feel bad for him and thus fall in love with him for his brave efforts. Ebert’s use of the right amount of details and his inclusion of details about the endearing qualities of the characters help his audience see his point of view and get excited about the movie he is reviewing.

                Ebert has done a nice job incorporating the aspects of rhetoric into his writing in a way that makes his point stronger. He uses vivid imagery, intriguing colloquial diction, and focuses on endearing details to make the movie seem more appealing, and get readers to agree with his positive opinion of the movie.