Film Rhetorical Analysis: Red Path

As adolescence begin to reach adulthood, their need to discover their identity increases and thus, they begin their journey of self-realization. The film Red Path, by Thérése Ottawa and Johanne Bergeron (2015) tells the story of Tony Chachai, a young Aboriginal man on the path to discovering his identity. The film effectively uses rhetorical analysis to convey its message using emotional appeal. The film successfully avoids the use of logic and ultimately leads the viewer to the wanted conclusion. Red Path expresses the idea that the key to finding one’s identity is to return to one’s roots.

The film begins with images of grass blowing around a canoe, the camera pans to show the waves crashing into the shore and the viewer

He discusses how his mother drank alcohol while she was pregnant with him, and how this affected his health. He also acknowledges that his mother continued to drink while he was a child and that he was eventually put into foster care. This information is vital to the filmmaker’s argument, as it strengthens the idea that while Tony was away from the town, he lost touch with his roots and thus lost his identity. While discussing this Tony begins to dance, and as he stops dancing the camera focuses on his face leading into the addition of information from Tony’s past. This time Tony discusses his problem with drugs and alcohol and how throughout hi teens, he used substances to solve his problems. This information causes viewers to understand that Tony was lost before he became in touch with his roots and it also shows how much he as grown and changed in the short while that he has lived there. The audience finds that the reason for Tony’s return was that he had a received a phone call that his mother was very ill. At this point, Tony knows that he must forgive his mother and thus returns to give her his forgiveness. This moment in the film allows for a strong connection between Tony and the audience, the death of someone who is close effects many people and so it really allows the audience to relate to the situation. Now that the viewers know