Act Of Valor Rhetorical Analysis

All gave some, some gave all. This statement becomes very apparent through the movie, Act of Valor. Even to the people that are against the military and who criticize these soldiers’ acts, it is obvious the sacrifices the troops make. Throughout this movie, you see the many sacrifices that the United States military men and women give on a regular basis, which are depicted in several scenes. Act of Valor, shows the struggles of war on and off the battlefield and all the sacrifices these soldiers give, even the sacrifice of one’s life. This is a story of a team of Navy SEALs and their mission to save a CIA operative. This operation then uncovers a terrorist plot to attack the United States and leads them to a major drug lord in charge. In the SEALs quest to stop this attack before it happens, a chain of events uncovers that sacrifices must be made and that the troops are always willing to pay the price of freedom and protection.

The first sacrifice that surfaces in this movie is when the SEAL, Rorke Denver, is called for a new and urgent mission and he must leave his pregnant wife behind at home.

This is always a struggle that military families go through. Both the husband and the wife are making a sacrifice. The husband in this case must leave his wife, knowing that he will miss the birth of his first son. The wife is sacrificing her husband and possibly even his safety knowing that she may never see her love again. Rorke will later go on to give an even greater sacrifice.

Furthermore, anytime someone takes a bullet for someone else that is always considered a sacrifice. That is exactly the case in Act of Valor. While breaching a room, in search for the missing CIA operative, one of the SEALs, Mikey, pushed his comrade out of the line of fire and took the bullet himself, in the eye. Mikey sacrificed himself for his fellow SEALs and also for the CIA operative. Mikey did live, but he did lose the eye that got

shot.
Death is the greatest sign of love and sacrifice one can make. The Bible says, “Greater love has no one but this: that one lay down his life for his friends” (Jn.15.13). This is the greatest sacrifice given in this movie. It is given by a SEAL whose name Lt. Rorke. Rorke spots a grenade while searching for the drug lord in charge of this apparent terrorist attack. Knowing he doesn’t have enough time to through it out, Rorke throws his body on top of the grenade without even hesitating. By doing so, he took the full blast of the grenade and he saved the rest of his team. He gave his life willingly so his team could live. This is a man who had a wife and a kid on the way back in the United States and yet he did it because he knew if he didn’t, many more people would have perished.
Act of Valor ends with Danny, a fellow SEAL team member, reading a letter Rorke gave to him before the mission. Danny is reading this letter to Rorke’s new son.
So live your life that the fear of death can never enter your heart. Trouble no one about their religion; respect others in their view, and demand that they respect yours. Love your life, perfect your life, beautify all things in your life. Seek to make your life long and its purpose in the service of your people.
When it comes your time to die, be not like those whose hearts are filled with the fear of death, so that when their times comes they weep and pray for a little more time to their lives over again in a different way. Sing your death song and die like a hero going home. (Rorke quoting Chief Tecumseh)
Death is inevitable, but the Unites States military faces this fact every time they step out of their base. These soldiers know this and yet they do it anyways because they love what is behind them. They are willing to die to protect our freedoms at any given moment. These soldiers leave their families and their safety to protect this great country and its freedoms. This is sacrifice.