Documentary film review: The Game Changers. By Nate Washington
I am writing my film review on a documentary called The Game changers, it highlights the many health benefits that come with living on a plant-based diet; and how unhealthy a diet based on animal products can be. It is narrated by James Wilks, a combat expert who adopted a plant-based diet after a very serious double-knee injury. The documentary covers the research he found, including some studies dating all the way back to ancient Rome, along with interviews with several doctors and professional athletes from all types of sports. Wilks provides accounts from professional weight lifters, football players, swimmers, track and field athletes, and even some retired athletes that prove the long-lasting benefits of a plant-based diet. The documentary is so captivating because the directors used a plethora of rhetorical and persuasive strategies such as ethos, pathos, and logos. The film presents a nearly overwhelming amount of information with accounts from credible sources, after watching, the viewer can’t help but consider a lifestyle change. The choice of rhetorical and persuasive strategies are so compelling that I was convinced to completely remove animal products from my diet once I start becoming more active. Before I started the film, I had not given plant-based diets any thought whatsoever; now I am convinced that if I start making changes in my lifestyle at nineteen, I could live a very long healthy life. The film’s use of undeniable evidence would be enough to convince the viewer alone, but incorporating logic and long-term health benefits makes it so much more impactful.
The Game Changers documentary is eighty minutes of ethos, pathos, and logos. The filmmakers provide so much information and evidence while also weaving things in like nostalgia to evoke the feelings of the viewer. The ability to use ethos, pathos, and logos all together so seamlessly is truly remarkable and is often the difference-maker in persuasive films or articles. The film’s ethos is based on James Wilks, a combat expert who has experience in the UFC and specializes in mixed martial arts. He taught fighting techniques for over fifteen years to Navy SEALs, Marines, and Marshals, mainly techniques that are banned in organized mixed martial arts. Once he was established as a credible, serious athlete he began to tell the story of his devastating knee injury, and how driven he was to recover. He researched until he found something that stood out to him: a plant-based diet. The first study the film presents is the history of the Roman gladiators led by Doctor Fabian Kanz, a forensic pathologist at the Medical University of Vienna. Archaeologists studied the bones of the gladiators and found signs of intense training and a “high quality” diet, he also points out the fact gladiators were fed better than anybody else. It was also discovered that gladiators were also called “Hordearii,” which translates to beans and barley muncher.
They then talk about the narrative that heavy meat eaters outperform vegetarians, research shows that this narrative goes as far back as the 1800s, to a scientist named Justus Von Liebig. Liebig was a major contributor to the studies of agricultural and biological chemistry, however, he insisted vegetarians could not sustain as much energy as people who eat meat. He was so convinced that meat was the healthier, more beneficial option, but based on the information provided in the film, he was way off. He campaigned against veganism and was able to convince essentially most of the world that our diet should be based on meat and meat products. This idea has been widely accepted since and emphasized for people who have an exceptionally active lifestyle, professional athletes for example. The narrative is very prevalent in the world of mixed martial arts, they exemplify this by highlighting the Connor McGregor and Nate Diaz fight, it was highly anticipated, and both fighters had a strict diet. McGregor heavily incorporates meat into his diet, he said that he eats up to two steaks per day, Diaz, on the other hand, was plant-based. In a battle of attrition, Diaz won over McGregor and admitted his diet could have been to blame. Another study that was included was by Doctor Roger Vogel, a co-chair on the NFL committee on cardiovascular health; he gathered three NFL players and fed two of them burritos with meat and the other was a vegetarian option. Two hours after the meal he tested their blood and observed a drastic difference in the harmful fat content and overall clarity of the blood; they show even one meal can make a difference in health.
Accounts from current and retired athletes are only part of what makes the film impactful, with every piece of information given they also provide some reasoning to provide clarity to the viewer. An example of this is a quote given by Patrik Boubamian, a professional weightlifter who is vegan, and was once known as the strongest man in the world. People would often question his diet, they would ask, “How can you expect to get as strong as an ox without eating meat?” He replies, “Well have you ever seen an ox eat meat?” This was one of many impactful quotes from the film, however for me, it put things into perspective and debunked the entire meat-eater narrative. Another impactful story was that of Scott Jurek, a professional marathon runner; he tells the story of the day he decided to implement a plant-based diet in anticipation of a race. He was apprehensive at first, but he led the race from start to finish and won it the next seven years in a row.
Reasoning and credibility are all tied together by the techniques they used to evoke emotions from the viewer; they rely on things like home video and old movie clips to give a feeling of nostalgia to the viewer. The narrator put in a lot of old clips from his childhood while he was being introduced in the film, home videos are something that almost anybody can find comfort in; so he was able to build a relationship between viewers early on. Wilks also talks about his father’s first heart attack while highlighting how unhealthy meat products are.
Before seeing The Game Changers I was completely unaware of how unhealthy meat products are, I was a part of the collective that assumed a meat based diet was the most beneficial option. Most of my time in school I was an athlete, I played football and ran track and field all four years, so my body was under duress year-round. Coaches and athletic trainers often stressed how important a healthy diet was; they encouraged us to eat lots of animal based protein, and although some found success, they could have been doing better things for our body. I always relied on animal products and did see some growth, yet most days I was sluggish, lacked energy, and just tired overall. If I had known then what I do now, I would have become more conscious of what I ate daily, I also feel I would have found more success within sports and working out. I too was convinced animal products were my best option, while all along it was harming my body, which is scary. But I am at an age where a change now could make the defining difference later on; and now that I know the cost of a meat-based diet, I am seriously considering cutting meat products out of my diet entirely. I feel it will be easier than it sounds and the health benefits outweigh any challenges that come with it, I owe it to myself.
