“Food”Astrophe – a Rhetorical Analysis of Food, Inc

“Food”astrophe – A Rhetorical Analysis of Food, Inc. Food, Inc. accomplishes exposing an, almost, forced monopolization of food providers through strong artistic imagery, revealing the health risks of eating processed foods, and through testimonies of the victims directly affected by this. There is a stroke of brilliance from Robert Kenner, the creator of the revelatory documentary, Food, Inc.. Kenner is no “newbie” to the film world with 9 previous works he has written and directed, most of which are documentaries created to raise awareness to specific, world changing issues. This feature familiarizes the watchers with the risks of eating processed foods while exposing the proposed, monopolized food industry. It is clear when watching that the writers of Food, Inc. intended this film to be viewed by anyone that eats food, as you probably have already guessed, this includes every living person. The producer’s strategy utilizes strong biased opinions from people who have been directly affected by the direction major food corporations have taken their operations to prove the point of this film. Artistically, this film takes advantage of the viewer’s emotions using strong color palettes and music to shape the audience with feelings that are specific to what the producers present. Food, Inc. starts with a whimsical song consisting of strings and other orchestral instruments and immediately displays a bright, green camera shot panning across rolling, lush hills. It does not take more than a minute before the song transitions into an, almost devious tune that suggests there is much more beneath the surface. While this transition plays out the narrator, Eric Schlosser, explains how supermarkets deceive buyers using pictures of farms, animals, and green pastures on their packaging and displays but “the industry doesn’t want you to know the truth about what you are eating because if you knew, you might not want to eat it”. Schlosser is an investigative reporter with a

Cited: Food, Inc. Dir. Robert Kenner. Perf. Eric Schlosser, Michael Pollan. Netflix. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 Oct. 2012. <http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Food_Inc./70108783?trkid=2361637>.