As if his words weren’t already
powerful enough, Ben Affleck’s character in Boiler Room uses a ton of nonverbal
communication. The first notable instance is the use of chronemics. I noticed
that he is the last one to arrive to the meeting, making the others wait on
him. This use of time exerts his authority in that he doesn’t have to follow
the same rules as everyone else (i.e. showing
up on time to a meeting). He then uses that power to eject a man out of his
seat with a touch on the back, or haptics, another form of nonverbal
expression. A sense of dominance is also established by the position that he
takes at the head of the table. He is standing talking down to the other men
who are encircling him, which is excellent use of proxemics to convey his
superiority.
As Ben Affleck speaks, he uses a
variety of kinesics to elaborate his speech, such as standing tall with his
hands behind his back, pacing, banging his fist on the table, and pointing at
people. He develops immediacy by speaking directly to individuals and making
them feel involved in what he is saying, but rarely ever keeps eye contact for
too long. The suits and ties that the men are wearing serve as the main artifacts
used in the scene, showing that it is a business meeting. The long table and
white walls give the setting an office like feel.
Since Ben is clean shaven, has
short brown hair, and an athletic build, his attractive appearance probably
adds to his persuasiveness in a sort of halo effect. He also makes use of paralinguistics
by pausing after statements to let the audience react to what he is saying, and
he says everything in a snide way with lots of curse words to give it an extra
flare of conviction. Overall, I think he was very successful at getting his
point across, even though his speech was not particularly friendly or warm.
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