I chose to write about the video for the song “Rooster” by Alice in Chains because not only is it one of my favorite songs by one of my favorite bands but it is also an extremely emotional song and video. This is not your typical music video as it is a very personal piece for the writer of the song, Jerry Cantrell, and I believe that the video reflects on this a lot. According to interviews with Cantrell, the song is about his perceptions of the war in Vietnam and the effects it had on his father who served in it.
In this video we are immediately provided with the Ethos to lend this video persuasiveness it needs. Before the song even begins we are bombarded by what appears to be footage and images of the Vietnam War mixed with interview footage of both Cantrell and his father. This footage gives us a sense that the song has credibility in the subject of the war. Cantrell’s father provides details of what it was like to fight in Vietnam which in turn allows us to believe that they are authorities on the subject
The video is strongest in its images of Pathos. The video is filled with footage of soldiers in the jungle. As the video progresses the images become more and more shocking and emotional as we see the soldiers repeatedly come under attack. The footage is as brutal and gory as allowed to try to get us to experience what the war was like.
The main purpose of this video is to show us how scary war is and the images alone give plenty reasons as to why. The video use Logos in a way that gives us every reason to fear war. Images of death, violence, and terror logically fit with this songs message.
