The Imposter Film Analysis

Family is a normality that people continue to grow accustomed to; yet, many never really appreciate what they have until it’s gone. When Nicholas Barclay disappeared in 1994, this is exactly what happened. The Imposter (2012) showcases the true feelings behind the Barclay family after their son’s disappearance and follows their journey as an “imposter” (Frederic Bourdin) imposes in their life, pretending to be their son. This compelling documentary enforces the audience to not take their life for granted as it could change at any moment. It also allows the audience to form their own opinions on what happened to the missing Barclay boy. In The Imposter, the use of ethos, color scheme, and the audio/music is applied for entertainment purposes

directed toward a broad audience, ranging from drama-loving teenagers to sympathetic families and parents.
Throughout the documentary, the appeal to ethos is applied. The director, Bart Layton, incorporates this consistently in the film. Layton built ethos for multiple characters- including Frederic Bourdin, the Barclay family, and the private investigator Charlie Parker. In the beginning, the film provides backstory for Bourdin, “Nobody ever gave me a childhood, because to give a kid a childhood, you need to love that kid,” Bourdin explains. This reveals that…. This appeal to ethos was astonishing. This is because Bourdin was supposed to be the ‘bad guy’ and was not expected to have reasons for his manipulative actions, allowing the audience to form curiosity about will happen; maybe Bourdin isn’t as bad as he seems. Layton also built up ethos for Charlie Parker when he says “I got a call back in November from a television producer for Hard Copy and he said that a boy who had been missing earlier for four years, had turned up and he wanted me to track him down.” This proves that Parker is trustworthy because he is being hired by a television producer who trusts Parker, resulting in the audience trusting him. This appeal to ethos impacts the movie as a whole. When Parker found out information about Bourdin and the Barclay family, the audience trusts him and changes the way they think about the case. Therefore, the audience gains curiosity about the ending, even creating their own theories.
The color scheme displayed in The Imposter creates a visually effective documentary.

Layton chose dull, simple colors throughout the majority of the film. These choices of colors appeal to pathos. The dull colors of black and gray stir emotions- such as sad, depressed, and even scared. Thus, the use of these colors provides a perfect setting to urge the audience to keep watching. The director also decided to use darker colors when memories, old videos, or reenactments occurred in the film. This helps set them apart from the interviews and make them seem older or in the past. The interviews had little sparks of color, compared to the reenactments, but the colors were still simple and on the duller side. Although, there was more color in certain places of the film. For example, when Bourdin was imposing as Nicholas and he was riding home with the Barclay family, everything was good and things were not yet complicated; therefore, Layton decided to add more color to the scene, as well as choose more cheerful

music.
Bart Layton involves carefully selected music and audio to successfully portray this film. Most of the audio in The Imposter is quiet, calm, and undistracting. Similar to the color scheme, the audio also appeals to pathos. The use of quiet music and other times the absence of audio, evoke sad and scared emotions in the audience. During the interviews, the music is either minimal or nonexistent. This forces the listeners to pay close attention to the film and creates an intense atmosphere, causing everything to seem important. When the story becomes less sad and scary, the music becomes more lively. For example, when Charlie Parker was investigating Bourdin, the plot was not as intense, so Layton decided to make the music more exuberant. This gives the audience a sense of relief, resulting in the feeling that all is well and Parker will figure out about Bourdin, and everything will be all right. However, the music once again becomes quiet and suspenseful, sparking curious emotions in the viewers, causing them not to lose the sense of relief, but wonder “what will happen next?”
In conclusion, the documentary The Imposter is an undeniably compelling film.

It tells the true story of a man taking the place of a missing boy, pretending to be a part of his family. All over the world, family is cherished and extremely valuable to society. For instance, in China family has been one of the most essential values for several centuries. The harmony and stability among their families bring the guarantee of peace to the Chinese. Because this film affected family, numerous people can relate or sympathize. To make this documentary not only intriguing but also realistic, the director included several rhetorical strategies. These include the appeal to ethos, the simple color scheme, and the music and audio choices. These techniques create an atmosphere for the audience that entices them to keep watching and builds up emotions and curiosity. The use of ethos creates trustworthy characters within the film, making the viewers form their own theories of the outcome, depending on who they trust. The contrast of mainly dark with some lighter colors form a variety of emotions from sad to relieved. Lastly, the selection of quiet or no music sparks additional emotions in the reader, such as intrigued and scared. These three strategies combine and work together to form an amazing film, known as The Imposter. Family is a normality that people continue to grow accustomed to; yet, many never really appreciate what they have until it’s gone. When Nicholas Barclay disappeared in

1994, this is exactly what happened. The Imposter (2012) showcases the true feelings behind the Barclay family after their son’s disappearance and follows their journey as an “imposter” (Frederic Bourdin) imposes in their life, pretending to be their son. This compelling documentary enforces the audience to not take their life for granted as it could change at any moment. It also allows the audience to form their own opinions on what happened to the missing Barclay boy. In The Imposter, the use of ethos, color scheme, and the audio/music is applied for entertainment purposes directed toward a broad audience, ranging from drama-loving teenagers to sympathetic families and parents.
Throughout the documentary, the appeal to ethos is applied. The director, Bart Layton, incorporates this consistently in the film. Layton built ethos for multiple characters- including Frederic Bourdin, the Barclay family, and the private investigator Charlie Parker. In the beginning, the film provides backstory for Bourdin, “Nobody ever gave me a childhood, because to give a kid a childhood, you need to love that kid,” Bourdin explains. This reveals that…. This appeal to ethos was astonishing. This is because Bourdin was supposed to be the ‘bad guy’ and was not expected to have reasons for his manipulative actions, allowing the audience to form curiosity about will happen; maybe Bourdin isn’t as bad as he seems. Layton also built up ethos for Charlie Parker when he says “I got a call back in November from a television producer for Hard Copy and he said that a boy who had been missing earlier for four years, had turned up and he wanted me to track him down.” This proves that Parker is trustworthy because he is being hired by a television producer who trusts Parker, resulting in the audience trusting him. This appeal to ethos impacts the movie as a whole. When Parker found out information about Bourdin and the Barclay family, the audience trusts him and changes the way they think about the case. Therefore, the audience gains curiosity about the ending, even creating their own theories.
The color scheme displayed in The Imposter creates a visually effective documentary. Layton chose dull, simple colors throughout the majority of the film. These choices of colors appeal to pathos. The dull colors of black and gray stir emotions- such as sad, depressed, and even scared. Thus, the use of these colors provides a perfect setting to urge the audience to keep watching. The director also decided to use darker colors when memories, old videos, or reenactments occurred in the film. This helps set them apart from the interviews and make them seem older or in the past. The interviews had little sparks of color, compared to the reenactments, but the colors were still simple and on the duller side. Although, there was more color in certain places of the film. For example, when Bourdin was imposing as Nicholas and he was riding home with the Barclay family, everything was good and things were not yet complicated; therefore, Layton decided to add more color to the scene, as well as choose more cheerful music.
Bart Layton involves carefully selected music and audio to successfully portray this film. Most of the audio in The Imposter is quiet, calm, and undistracting. Similar to the color scheme, the audio also appeals to pathos. The use of quiet music and other times the absence of audio, evoke sad and scared emotions in the audience. During the interviews, the music is either minimal or nonexistent. This forces the listeners to pay close attention to the film and creates an intense atmosphere, causing everything to seem important. When the story becomes less sad and scary, the music becomes more lively. For example, when Charlie Parker was investigating Bourdin, the plot was not as intense, so Layton decided to make the music more exuberant. This gives the audience a sense of relief, resulting in the feeling that all is well and Parker will figure out about Bourdin, and everything will be all right. However, the music once again becomes quiet and suspenseful, sparking curious emotions in the viewers, causing them not to lose the sense of relief, but wonder “what will happen next?”
In conclusion, the documentary The Imposter is an undeniably compelling film. It tells the true story of a man taking the place of a missing boy, pretending to be a part of his family. All over the world, family is cherished and extremely valuable to society. For instance, in China family has been one of the most essential values for several centuries. The harmony and stability among their families bring the guarantee of peace to the Chinese. Because this film affected family, numerous people can relate or sympathize. To make this documentary not only intriguing but also realistic, the director included several rhetorical strategies. These include the appeal to ethos, the simple color scheme, and the music and audio choices. These techniques create an atmosphere for the audience that entices them to keep watching and builds up emotions and curiosity. The use of ethos creates trustworthy characters within the film, making the viewers form their own theories of the outcome, depending on who they trust. The contrast of mainly dark with some lighter colors form a variety of emotions from sad to relieved. Lastly, the selection of quiet or no music sparks additional emotions in the reader, such as intrigued and scared. These three strategies combine and work together to form an amazing film, known as The Imposter.