An Inconvenient Truth Rhetorical Analysis

Global Warming’s Bane

An Inconvenient Truth is a critically acclaimed documentary about global warming and its effects on the modern world. The movie centers around Al Gore and his mission to make global warming an important worldwide issue. The director, Davis Guggenheim, used emotional and logical appeals, dramatic filmmaking, and strong narration to convey his message of the importance of global warming and its effects.

Pathos and logos are emotional and logical appeals and Guggenheim uses both expertly to persuade his viewers. An immediate instance where this can be noticed is when the words “If you love your children… you have to see this movie.” This appeals to parents and future parents, and makes them want to see the movie to protect their children from the potential consequences of not changing daily habits to accommodate global warming. Logos (appeal to logic and reason) is also used frequently, usually in the form of statistics. One example of this is when the film uses the juxtaposition of two images of the same glacier, but ten years apart. The first image pictures a large glacier that is engulfing an entire valley, while the second image shows that the

glacier has melted and a river has taken its place. This shows the damage global warming can do to an ecosystem.
Davis Guggenheim uses dramatic elements to make his trailer seem more interesting to the common eye.

One of the most used techniques to help that were cuts of menacing storms and sick people, this, again, emphasized the damage that global warming can do to the earth, and not just to humans. The cuts try to interest the viewer and try to make them more aware of the aftermath of their actions. Another essential part of the trailer were the music transitions present at crucial moments. The music starts as a very intense, hard beat that strikes immediate interest and focus towards the trailer, then, suddenly, the music shifts to a lighter tone, to show that there is hope for our situation, the music then changes back to the intense and dramatic beat to drive the director’s point into the viewer’s

head.
The targeted audience for The Inconvenient Truth is the working class, the majority of the people who will see the movie, and the people who can do the most difference in the attitude towards global warming. Having someone who is known by most of the targeted audience helps to boost the popularity of the film. Al Gore is a prime example of someone like that, and to have him narrate the film helps people to start talking about global warming. As Gore speaks, pictures and small clips of raging storms and destructive natural forces plays behind his calm and strong voice, giving the viewers a sense of hope.
Davis Guggenheim used effective but subtle appeals to human nature and thought to start the worldwide talk about global warming and what people should be doing to reduce the already major effects. Although a lot of viewers will not change their habits because of the film, every single one who does is a small victory, and should be cherished. Logos, pathos, dramatic filmmaking, and strong narration pushes this documentary into being a success at educating
people about global warming.