FINAL COURSE PROJECT
AP Rhetorical Analysis of a Documentary Film from http://www.digitalparlor.org/icap/node/212
Documentary film is probably one of the first mediums that come to mind when we think about “documenting reality,” yet they are
also one of the most complex formats for recording aspects of our world. Documentary films use a variety of methods—images,
words, sounds, and various film techniques, to name a few—in order to present an argument. This project asks you to view a
documentary film and to analyze the rhetorical strategies employed by the filmmaker in the construction of the film’s argument, to
record a “yak track” of two scenes and to present your findings to the class in a formal presentation, and to produce and show a
added one minute scene to the film that your team creates that shows off your talent as users of language and image. This added
scene may be done with Photostory and still photos with music and voice overlay OR be videotaped and manipulated.
The presentation should not be a summary of the film, nor should it be a review based on your personal reaction to it. The aim of
the project is to identify the filmmaker’s thesis, and to analyze the rhetorical strategies and film techniques used in order to develop
the film’s thesis.
STEP ONE: View the video on your own (or with your team if you can manage it) by MAY 27. You can view the documentary using
the links attached (which you will find on Ms. Reisinger’s Wiki at http://cbaplanguageandcomposition.wikispaces.com and should
use those links if you are going to watch in on the computer) or you can rent or purchase the documentary if you prefer to watch in
on a TV screen. As you view the documentary, rhetorically analyze it and TAKE NOTES individually on the Individual Viewing Chart.
Have in mind two or three scenes you find especially rhetorically and persuasively effective. Be prepared to consider and discuss
these scenes on May 28.
STEP TWO: Your group will ask and answer the following questions beginning on May 28:
 What is the filmmaker’s purpose?
 What is the argument/thesis of the film? What assertions/claims are made?

To what extent does the argument have validity? Are there fallacies?
 What is the attitude or viewpoint of the filmmaker? Tone?
 What cinematic techniques does the filmmaker use to make his/her point? (Think about the diction and syntax of
the film).
 How does the structure of the film help achieve its purpose?
STEP THREE: By midnight on May 28 you must email Ms. Cartee-Harding with the two scenes you would like to use for your
presentation. These scenes must have a start and stop TIME as seen on the hyperlinks when viewed from there, NOT chapters from
the DVD.
STEP FOUR: Begin working on the script for your Yak Track on June 1 and 2 nd having it fully prepared by June 3.
STEP FIVE:
Record your Yak Track in Moviemaker on June 3 and 4th in class.
STEP SIX:
Work on your overall presentation and one minute original scene. You will have June 4, 5 and 8 to do some of this in
class but depending on what you have decided as a group for your one minute original scene, you may need to meet outside of
school.
THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND:
Your presentation should do all of the following:
1.
Identify the main argument and / or purpose of the film (this is somewhat subject to interpretation).
2.
Examine the ways in which the thesis and / or aim of the film’s argument is supported through the particular style and
manner of the composition’s construction, that is, through rhetorical strategies and film techniques. In order to focus your
ideas, you’ll need to choose a selection of strategies and techniques to analyze; do not attempt to discuss everything about
the film. Your chosen specific scenes or moments from the film should illustrate these techniques and analyze how the
filmmaker uses them to present the film’s argument. Think of this as the director’s cut of a DVD.
3.
Interpret / explain, in terms of your own thesis, why you think that the filmmakers made the particular compositional
choices they did (i.e. #2) in an effort to forward their main argument (i.e. #1). You should ask the ‘so what?’ question; these
choices are not arbitrary, therefore you should interpret why the filmmakers have made certain compositional / stylistic
choices. Your claim should be supported by the clips and with specific examples from the film that you point out in your “yak
track.”
4.
Show Off our talent and knowledge gleaned throughout the course with the addition of a one minute additional scene
created by you and your group members.
Grading of the Presentation:
1. The presentation has a clear thesis which states what your analysis of the rhetorical strategies of the film reveals.
2. The presentation identifies the thesis of the film.
3. The presentation has a well-developed analysis of specific techniques and strategies used to support the film’s thesis. The
presentation points to TWO specific scenes and moments from the film in order support claims made about the film’s
rhetorical strategies.
4. The presentation is effectively organized and involves all members of the group.
5. The presentation shows signs of careful practice and proofreading.
6.
The additional scene is a minimum of one minute in length and reveals deep knowledge of language, rhetoric, and
persuasion.
Film Choices:
Read the following summaries of the documentary film choices. Once you choose your film and have it
approved by the teacher, you must have your parent or guardian sign a parental permission form BEFORE you
begin viewing the film. Each of the films below is available in full online through Google Video unless
otherwise noted, but can also be rented from Netflix or Blockbuster.
Film Name
Rating
Summary
Mad Hot Ballroom
PG
Ballroom dancing goes from lame to cool for a group of New York City public
school kids in this insightful documentary. The film follows a group of 11year-olds as they learn to dance old-school styles including the merengue,
rumba, tango, foxtrot and swing. Candid interviews capture the kids' initial
reluctance at learning ballroom dance and their transformation into serious
competitors determined to win a citywide competition.
Sicko
PG-13
(brief strong
language)
Documentary look at health care in the United States as provided by profitoriented health maintenance organizations (HMOs) compared to free,
universal care in Canada, the U.K., and France. Moore contrasts U.S. media
reports on Canadian care with the experiences of Canadians in hospitals and
clinics there. He interviews patients and doctors in the U.K. about cost,
quality, and salaries. He examines why Nixon promoted HMOs in 1971, and
why the Clintons' reform effort failed in the 1990s. He talks to U.S. ex-pats
in Paris about French services, and he takes three 9/11 clean-up volunteers,
who developed respiratory problems, to Cuba for care. He asks of
Americans, "Who are we?"
Super Size Me
PG13
(language)
4 Little Girls
NR
On the heels of recent lawsuits against McDonald's, director Morgan
Spurlock takes a hilarious and often terrifying look at the effects of fast food
on the human body. For one month, Spurlock eats nothing but McDonald's
food, ordering everything on the menu at least once and "super-sizing" his
order if asked. With obesity on the rise, Spurlock's film begs the question:
Where does personal responsibility end and corporate responsibility begin?
Acclaimed director Spike Lee examines one of the most shocking crimes to
occur in American history--the 1963 bombing of a black church in
Birmingham, Alabama, that resulted in the deaths of four children attending
Sunday School--in a moving documentary that earned an Academy Award
nomination. Along with archival news footage, Lee talks with surviving
family members and interviews Coretta Scott King, Walter Cronkite, Bill
Cosby, and former Alabama governor George Wallace.
Walmart: The High Cost of Low
Prices
NR
This documentary takes the viewer on a deeply personal journey into the
everyday lives of families struggling to fight Goliath. From a family business
owner in the Midwest to a preacher in California, from workers in Florida to
a poet in Mexico, dozens of film crews on three continents bring the
intensely personal stories of an assault on families and American values.
The 11th Hour
PG
A look at the state of the global environment including visionary and
practical solutions for restoring the planet's ecosystems
Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch’s War
on Journalism
NR
Documentary on reported Conservative bias of the Rupert Murdoch-owned
Fox News Channel (FNC), which promotes itself as "Fair and Balanced".
Material includes interviews with former FNC employees and the interoffice memos they provided.
Taxi to the Dark Side
R
(disturbing
images, and
content
involving
torture and
graphic
nudity)
Using the torture and death in 2002 of an innocent Afghan taxi driver as the
touchstone, this film examines changes after 9/11 in U.S. policy toward
suspects in the war on terror. Soldiers, their attorneys, one released
detainee, U.S. Attorney John Yoo, news footage and photos tell a story of
abuse at Bagram Air Base, Abu Ghraib, and Guantanamo Bay. From Bush,
Cheney, Rumsfeld, and Gonzalez came unwritten orders to use any means
necessary. The CIA and soldiers with little training used sleep deprivation,
sexual assault, stress positions, waterboarding, dogs and other terror tactics
to seek information from detainees. Many speakers lament the loss of
American ideals in pursuit of security
Why We Fight
PG 13
(disturbing
war images
and
language)
Born Into Brothels
R
(Strong
language)
Filmed during the Iraq War, this documentary dissects America's military
machine with a keen eye to answering the question: Why does America
engage in war? Through personal stories of soldiers, government officials,
scholars, journalists and innocent victims, the film examines the political
and economic interests and ideological factors, past and present, behind
American militarism. Winner of the 2005 Sundance Grand Jury Award.
This Oscar-winning documentary is a portrait of several unforgettable
children who live in Calcutta's red-light district, where their mothers work as
prostitutes. Spurred by the kids' fascination with her camera, Zana Briski, a
photographer documenting life in the brothels, decides to teach them
photography. As they begin to look at and record their world through new
eyes, the kids awaken to their own talents and sense of worth.
Just For Kicks
NR
(language)
Iraq in Fragments
NR
Control Room (with Spanish
subtitles)
NR
(language
and very
disturbing
images)
This documentary peers into the controversial and often dangerous
operations of the 7-year-old Al Jazeera news network. Although it often
enrages its own people, the news outlet has become the most accepted
informational resource in the Arab community. Filmmaker Jehane Noujaim
gains extraordinary access to Al Jazeera journalists and examines the risks
they confront on a daily
basis.
The U.S. vs. John Lennon
PG13 (some
strong
language,
violent
images,
some drug
references)
David Leaf's provocative documentary examines John Lennon's growing
involvement in antiwar efforts from 1966 to 1976 and the U.S.
government's attempts to silence him. The film picks up Lennon's story as
he begins to shed his Beatles identity and adopt the role of a peace activist.
Lennon's wife, Yoko Ono, collaborated on the film, which features
interviews with Carl Bernstein, Walter Cronkite, Gov. Mario Cuomo, Angela
Davis and others.
Taking a look at the three-decade rise of sneakers, from comfortable
footwear to high-end fashion accessory, this fun documentary explores the
influence of athletes and entertainers on the trend, focusing particularly on
the world of hip-hop. Athletes, collectors and musicians -- including Fab 5
Freddy, DMC, Cold Crush Brothers, Bobbito Garcia, Russell Simmons and
other style setters -- weigh in on where the shoes stand in American culture
today.
Honored with an Oscar nod and prizes for editing and cinematography at
the 2006 Sundance Film Festival, director James Longley's striking portrait of
a nation divided presents a collage of images and commentary from
ordinary Iraqi citizens coping with the effects of war, political unrest,
religious feuds and an uncertain future. Moving beyond the abstract, the
film powerfully captures the indelible humanity of those living in a country
defined by conflict.
PG13
(disturbing
images)
The Fog of War
Former Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara is the sole focus of a film
that not only analyzes McNamara's controversial decisions during the first
half of the Vietnam War, but also his childhood upbringing, his education at
Berkley and Harvard, his involvement in World War II, and his later years as
president of the World Bank. Culling footage from almost 20 hours of
interviews with the Secretary, Morris details key moments from
McNamara's career, including the 1945 bombing of Tokyo, the Cuban
Missile Crisis, and President Kennedy's suggestions to the Secretary that the
U.S. remove itself from Vietnam. Throughout the film, the 85-year-old
McNamara expounds his philosophies on international conflict, and shows
regret and pride in equal measure for, respectively, his mistakes and
accomplishments.
Documentary Modes: from http://www.bfi.org.uk/education/teaching/realshorts/thinking/nfd/doc-modes.html
Bill Nichols, an American academic, introduced the theory of documentary modes in 1991 as an attempt to theorise documentary
practice. He suggested that there was a fairly direct linear progression from the early documentaries of the 1930s to the present
day, starting with expository documentaries, evolving progressively into observational, interactive and, finally, reflexive
documentary styles.
More recently, Stella Bruzzi has taken issue with Nichols' idea of a simple chronological progression. She argues that all types of
documentaries have existed in different periods, and she adds another mode - the 'performative'. 'Traditionally, documentaries
strove to represent reality as faithfully as possible. They relied upon the realist assumption that it was necessary to disguise the
conventions used in making the documentary and so appear to offer a window on the world. Conversely, the new performative
documentaries herald a different notion of documentary "truth" that acknowledges the construction and artificiality of even the
non-fiction film.'
Stella Bruzzi, New Documentary: A Critical Introduction, (2000).
The Documentary Modes can be summarized as such and may be a helpful guide as you begin to consider your
film. Please consider and use some of this information as part of your presentation.
Mode
Characterized by:
The expository
mode





'Voice of God' narration directly addressing the viewer
Direct relationship between images and voice-over
Interviews used only in support of the film's argument
A conventional narrative structure
A narrator who also may appear as a 'character' in the film (such as David Attenborough)
The observational
mode








A non-interventionist or fly-on-the-wall style of presentation
Unobtrusive camera work, appearing to offer a 'window on the world'
Relatively long takes connoting that nothing has been 'cut out'
Zoom lenses and hand-held camera following the action
Editing which gives the impression of 'lived' or 'real' time
Speech which is overheard and not directed to camera or audience
Synchronous sound
Only diegetic music (originating in the documentary's world)
The interactive
mode






The acknowledged presence of the camera and crew
The film-maker speaking directly to her/his subjects
An emphasis on monologues and dialogues
Representation of multiple viewpoints, contributing different information
Editing which maintains logical continuity
No definitive argument, leaving the audience to decide
The reflexive mode




Acknowledgement of the medium to problematise it
Discussion of the problems of making the documentary
Making explicit the process of representation
Making explicit institutional issues (such as who is funding it)
The performative
mode
Where the documentary maker 'stars' in his/her own film, is also self-reflexive, such as in Kurt & Courtney (1998).
While it is useful to keep all these styles in mind, many documentaries, even early ones, don't fit rigidly into a single
category. The seminal Housing Problems, for example, is expository in that it includes interviews to the camera, and
interactive in that it has several different voice-overs; it is also observational. Michael Moore's films offer further examples
of this hybridity.
____________________________________________________________________________________ (cut)
Permission Slip:
Dear Parent/Guardian,
Please take a moment to review the AP Rhetorical Analysis of a Documentary Film Assignment and the film
summary with your child. Then sign below.
Student Name:_____________________ _______________has permission to view and analyze the
documentary film, Film Name: ____________________________________. I, Print Parent/Guardian Name:
______________________________, have read the assignment and the summary provided in this document
and understand that the views presented in the documentary are the argument of the filmmaker and do not
necessarily reflect the views of the teacher or Central Bucks School District.
____________________________________________
Parent/Guardian Signature
____________________________
Date
Documentary Film Name:_______________________________
Student Name: ____________________________________
Individual Viewing Chart:
Time (You will
Technique Used
need this for
your clips
suggestions at
the very least)
Specific Example from the Film
Effect on the Viewer
Individual Viewing Chart:
Time (You will
Technique Used
need this for
your clips
suggestions at
the very least)
Specific Example from the Film
Effect on the Viewer
Group Work: Discuss these questions with your group members and record your group’s answers.
What is the filmmaker’s purpose?
What is the argument/thesis of the film? What assertions/claims are made?
To what extent does the argument have validity? Are there fallacies?
What is the attitude or viewpoint of the filmmaker? Tone?
What cinematic techniques does the filmmaker use to make his/her point? (Think about the diction and syntax
of the film). Look on your individual charts for this.
How does the structure of the film help achieve its purpose?
Your claim or thesis for your Presentation (Interpret / explain, in terms of your own thesis, why you think that the
filmmakers made the particular compositional choices they did (i.e. #2) in an effort to forward their main argument)
Clips needed for the Presentation: (Record the start and stop time as seen in Google Video)
Clip start time
Clip stop time
Description of what is happening in the clip.
Clip One: Script ideas for the Yak Track
Clip Two: Script ideas for the Yak Track