"This is it. This is our destiny!"

Argument: What are the consequences of watching rugby on the unification between the white and black people of South Africa?

Watching rugby increases the unification between the white and black people of South Africa because cheering for the same team to succeed provides the nation with a common goal to work on.

The target audience is adults who have some knowledge of either rugby or South African history. Adults who are were aware of the Apartheid that occurred and separated all blacks and whites for a time.

The Goal is to persuade the audience to go see the movie.

The main tool this trailer uses to convince its audience was appealing to pathos. They feel sympathy for Nelson Mandela and the mess he is put in by getting made president of a divided South Africa. As soon as Matt Damon’s character is asked to win the world cup, the audience senses a shift in emotion to feel inspired and starts rooting for the rugby team to win. This is especially true when Matt Damon’s character states “This is it. This is our destiny!” Knowing how terrible the Apartheid was, they can’t help but feel compassion for the entire country as well as the rugby team and will want to see how it ends. One other effective tool that was used was accuracy. Since this film is based on a true story, it is important that they portray the events correctly. The trailer effectively used the poem ‘Invictus’, by having Nelson Mandela (Morgan Freeman) read the lines “I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul” once at the beginning and again at the end of the trailer.

Yes, I believe this trailer was effective in making its argument because by appealing to the pathos of the audience, it tugs at their heart strings which will more than likely cause them to go to the theaters and watch the movie. One other aspect that I did not mention above was the bold wording that was interspersed throughout the trailer. The short, bold statements added to the emotion that was already being portrayed. Overall, it got the point across clearly and effectively.

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