The movie trailer for Everest is intense, to say the least. The rhetorical choices made were intended to maximize suspense in order to make people want to see the movie.  The filmmakers are aware that the audience is people who are interested in seeing the movie and so they make the movie look as appealing as possible.  Everest is based on a true story about "May of 1996, [where] eight people died after a strong blizzard stranded groups of climbers at the top of Mount Everest just after they had reached the summit, making the event, at the time, the largest loss of life in a single day on Everest..." according to Bustle. This story line serves as “the historical occasion that would give rise to the composition of this text” (BYU).

The trailer opens with dramatic scenes of the snowfall and the climbers nearing the top of Mount Everest. In the rhetorical analysis section by Texas A&M it says, "In a pathetic appeal, rhetoricians tap a reader’s sympathy and compassion, anger and disappointment, desire for love, or sadness to convince the audience of their argument."  Everest’s trailer taps into the audience’s emotions like good rhetoric should. 

The trailer reaches the glorious point of the film when he stands on top with both arms raised (1:27) and the lowest of lows with the moment of truth while crossing a huge gap in mountain at 1:44.  Therefore, everything in between these points in the movie is what the viewers are left hanging to see.  The intention of the movie is “to teach [and] to delight” (BYU).  The idea of educating people on hiking and dangers of Mt. Everest is also incorporated in the film.  “ I think the trailer for Everest makes a wise choice with the use of snapping in-between clips of avalanche and scenes from back home describing "the most dangerous place on earth" and how "humans aren't built to function at the height of a 747" (:22).  The choppiness of the film and the words spoken reach for the audience’s emotions and draws them in.

Nearing the end of the trailer (2:38-2:50), there are screams for help and flashes between snow storms, pale faces and black screens.  In this case, the trailer does a bad job of “briefly restating your main argument. It should then apply your argument on a higher level” like UWC, suggests.  A movie should go back to the roots in the final seconds of the trailer to reestablish and remind the viewer why this all started.

Coppola says, “…the essence of cinema is editing.  It’s the combination of what can be extraordinary images, images of people during emotional moments, or just images in a general sense, but put together in a kind of alchemy.  A number of images put together a certain way becomes something quite above and beyond what any of them are individually”.  Compose Design Advocate explains that when all these clips are added together it creates a stronger argument than if one long clip would have been shown alone.  I think this tactic is crucial, especially with film.  The constant excitement keeps your audience observant.

Burton, Gideon, Dr. "Basic Questions for Rhetorical Analysis." Basic Questions for Rhetorical Analysis. Silva Rhetoricae, n.d. Web. 18 Sept. 2015.

"Rhetorical Analysis." University Writing Center. Texas A&M University, n.d. Web. 18 Sept. 2015.

Sia.  Elastic Heart feat. Shia LaBeouf & Maddie Ziegler (Official Video).  YouTube. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Sept. 2015. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWZGAExj-es>.

Wysocki, Anne Frances, and Dennis A. Lynch. Compose, Design, Advocate: A Rhetoric for Integrating Written, Visual, and Oral Communication. New York: Longman, 2007. Print.