Visual Arguments of Black Hawk Down and Lions for Lambs

Black Hawk Down and Lions for Lambs both preview the lives of men who have to chose their destiny. The logos appeal was that these men would choose the path where they would succeed, despite this deductive reasoning, these men chose a path that only the brave would chose. Arian and Ernest in Lions for Lambs were able to get into any graduate school that they pleased, however they chose the path to join the army and be deployed to the army in Afghanistan. In Black Hawk Down, Blackburn was eighteen years old, and had a choice of going to war. This valiant character chose the path to be part of the war in Somalia.

The Black Hawk down opened with a very emotional opening. It showed various leaders arguing over the war and arguing the involvement of the United States. The subsequent images showed the people of Somalia who were brought into the war and the condition of their life. This makes the viewer sympathize with the people and have the urge to help them. The next image mirrors the viewer’s ideology because soldiers discuss helping the people of the country so that they will not be destroyed by the actions of others. The images of this movie are very fast which draws attention to the eye. The colors of this film are very dark which shadows the dark mission that these soldiers have to go through. This dark aura gives insight to the audience that there will be a lot of death involved for such a great cause.

In Lions for Lambs, the preview opens out in a bright setting, the normal American life. However, once the characters join the army, the lighting transitions into a dark setting. The audience at this point is aware of the degree of seriousness this event has on these character and the country as a whole. The images constantly transition back and forth to the war and that of the Senator and the reporter in the United States. This gives the audience the view of the situation at both ends of the spectrum: one of that of the soldiers directly involved in the war and that of the people that are involved indirectly.

These two films bring ethos appeal because it gives people the credibility of the characters. In the eyes of Americans, soldiers are the most credible people because they place their lives down for the citizens living in the country, young and old. They are not willing to doubt the actions of the soldiers since they are the valiant. This point-of-view attracts the audience since most Americans have appreciation for their actions. Even if the audience does not have the appreciation for the American soldiers, it actually develops a respect for the soldiers for what they go through. “Sometimes the images have power in and of themselves to persuade (435)”. This image of the soldier shows that they are unselfish and valiant beyond anyone’s expectations.

“No one asks to be a hero, it just sometimes turns that way (Blackburn, Black Hawk Down)”