Fred Zinnemann High Noon Ethos

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Much contention and controversy have historically surrounded the idea that Fred Zinnemann’s High Noon (1952) is the single film that brought an end to what is commonly referred to as the “classical Western." Through a single crucial scene, one important character invokes the ancient advice lent by Aristotle in his seminal work, On Rhetoric, to persuade a town to turn on its hero and change the face of Western's forever. By adhering to the ancient philosopher's notion of ethos, pathos, and logos, the film effectively reworks a traditional Western opposition that had been at the core of the genre's classical narrative structure from its inception.

One of the quintessential narrative components of this somewhat loose body of films …show more content…

Ethos, according to Aristotle, is bound up with the character of the speaker, as this mode is influential through its ability to use the "fair-mindedness" or impartiality of the one speaking and is "the most authoritative form of persuasion" (115). The mayor's words, at this point, are the words of the law (the judge had previously fled town earlier in the day) and after stating that Kane should leave town immediately, he invokes his own authority by promising they will have a new Marshall in place by the next day. Notably, the mayor is very specific as to when this will occur (tomorrow instead of sometime soon) exerting his influence and displaying a great deal of authority in showing the crowd he is more than capable of making this happen and immediately. For the townspeople, the mayor's words are just, and he has given the town the ability to voice its opinion before he made the final ruling, an impartial act of a fair …show more content…

When the mayor first begins his speech he mentions how the town owes the Marshall more than they can repay him in money and how Kane's problem is the town's problem, and ultimately that they must have the "courage to do what we think is right, no matter how hard it is." The audience, at this point, is led to believe that the mayor will stand with Kane and fight off the outlaws when they arrive on the noon train. However, somewhat surprisingly, the mayor uses this appeal to emotion, that of requesting the townspeople's courage, to instead provoke the citizens to have the boldness necessary to in fact stand up against Kane and deny him their assistance, effectively allowing judgment to be passed and the Marshall exiled. In using Aristotle's rhetorical precepts, the mayor was able to sway the townspeople to quickly abandon the most revered figure in the history of the town. Although Aristotle never made clear the effects of using all three of his modes together, it is clear, at least through this cinematic example, that the power of these appeal types used in conjunction with one another could yield an unlimited purview of

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