Rhetorical Analysis Of The Film 'Plant-Based Diet'

The objective of the film was to influence viewers to switch to a plant-based diet while avoiding animal consumption. Anderson and Kuhn utilize various visual techniques and rhetorical appeals to ethos and logos to support their argument that the causes of many diseases can be linked back to diet. While the film uses clear rhetorical techniques to present its argument, the overall argument is ineffective due to its broad claim and distorted presentation of positions. The first rhetorical strategy used by the film that will be analyzed is the appeal to pathos. An example of this would be the woman crying because she has to take medicine for the rest of her life. It is possible that the filmmakers did this in an effort to evoke pity in the

This is shown by the claim in the film that "Any animal protein boosts the level of cancer promoting growth hormone IGF-1" (What the Health, Anderson). With a focus on the words "cancer promoting," this statistic aims to draw the viewer's attention. By claiming that all animal proteins cause cancer, the producers expect the audience to link meat with illness. This is useful because it aligns with the film's overall goal of convincing viewers to abandon meat diets in favor of plant-based diets. This is also apparent when the film claims that "99.4% were able to avoid major cardiac events by going plant-based" (What the Health, Anderson). The producer intends to dramatize the data in this case in order to give the impression that many people have successfully recovered from serious diseases by simply switching to a plant-based diet. As a result, the audience will find the statistic surprising and will feel compelled to try it

The use of cigarettes in the documentary demonstrates this. Children's hot dogs become cigars in their mouths. The purpose of this is to demonstrate that consuming processed meat may be just as harmful as smoking cigarettes. Eggs are altered into cigarettes to illustrate how eating one egg a day is equivalent to smoking five cigarettes. This is relevant to the film's message since it compares tobacco goods to meat and egg products to emphasize the serious effect they might have on a person's health. Another instance is the usage of children and expectant women in the film's visuals. There are images showing a pregnant woman or a toddler sipping milk without realizing the concealed risks of doing so. This supports the larger purpose of the film because it is meant to show their susceptibility and how they are victims of the big secrets of the animal produce