Scent of a woman is a movie produced in 1992, starring Al Pacino as retired Lieutenant Colonel Frank Slade (who is blind) and Charles O’Donnell as Charlie. Charlie went to an all-boys boarding school on scholarship where all of his classmates come from affluent families. In exchange for a plane ticket to go home for Christmas, Charlie accepts the temporary job of looking after Mr. Slade. Charlie and his friend, George, witnessed a prank pulled by his fellow classmates on the principal. They were asked to reveal the names of the people involved, but both of them refused. The principal then told them that whoever is willing to provide the three names will receive a recommendation letter that will guarantee admission into Harvard University.
Mr. Slade’s speech in the movie is a prime example of a successful artifact that meets the standards of Neo-Aristotlelian. In terms of style, this well-spoken speech is occasionally accompanied by swear words which capture the attention of both the immediate audience (the entire student body who attended the proceedings) and the viewing audience. The repetition of the theme “having an intact soul” is also presented consistently throughout his speech to emphasize how corrupted the authority at school can be and how Charlie chose to confront it.
In terms of delivery, Slade’s speech starts off in a soft tone that gradually turns very harsh. It got to the point where he got so furious that he started yelling at the school principal, loud enough for every student in the proceeding to hear. He yells even louder when it comes to words such as “soul” and “integrity” to highlight the theme of his defensive and inspirational speech. He speaks at a constant rate that is pleasing to the ears to ensure everyone could hear the messages he was trying to get across. His messages were: leaders are made of courage and integrity and you should never let anyone kill your spirit. When you come to the crossroads, follow your heart to do what you think is right. The rather dramatic gesture of standing up abruptly and hitting his white cane against the table assist Slade in showing his anger towards the principal for bribing students and robbing a student’s integrity. The speech ended with long applause from the entire student body suggesting that he had successfully gained support by the immediate audience. His speech not only gained garnered appreciation from students but also from the viewing audience beyond the screens. The level of appreciation made this powerful and educational speech a memorable one to remember.
Pop Studies and Rhetoric 