The Power of Persuasion Behind Bars — Analyzing Sing Sing

For my Persuasion class, I chose to analyze the 2023 film Sing Sing, directed by Greg Kwedar. This film, based on real events, follows a group of incarcerated men at Sing Sing Correctional Facility who find personal transformation through participation in a theater program. Rather than summarizing the plot, I focus on the persuasive interactions between two key characters: Divine G and Divine Eye. The power of persuasion is central to this film’s emotional core message.

Credibility

Divine G’s persuasion of Divine Eye is compelling in large part due to his credibility, or what persuasion theory would call “ethos.” Ethos is composed of three elements: competence, trustworthiness, and goodwill (Perloff, 2020). Divine G possesses all three in the context of the prison’s theater group. He has experience and success within the group, which signals competence. He’s a man wrongfully imprisoned, giving him moral credibility and building trust with others. And his genuine investment in Divine Eye’s growth reflects goodwill. These traits make Divine G a persuasive force not through coercion or authority, but through earned respect and authenticity. His mentorship is grounded in relational credibility, making his persuasion ethical and effective.

Traits & Characteristics

Module 5 of our course explored how factors such as age, gender, and socio-economic status affect how people are perceived and persuaded. In Sing Sing, the persuasive interaction between Divine G and Divine Eye happens within a context of systemic dehumanization—these men are defined by their crimes more than their character. The film challenges this by highlighting their intellect, humor, and emotional depth. Persuasion becomes a vehicle to dismantle internalized stigma. Divine Eye initially resists joining the group because of how he sees himself: as someone who doesn’t belong in the world of performance or creativity. Divine G works to reconstruct that self-perception. Here, persuasion isn’t about changing a belief on a topic—it’s about altering someone’s belief about themselves. That’s a profound interpersonal shift with social implications.

Social Judgment Theory (SJT)

Social Judgment Theory (SJT) explains how people evaluate persuasive messages based on their existing attitudes (Perloff, 2020). We have latitudes of acceptance, rejection, and non-commitment. Divine Eye, at first, places Divine G’s message (that theater has value and he has value) within his latitude of rejection. He’s skeptical. However, over time, Divine G uses non-threatening, affirming messages that gradually shift Divine Eye’s stance closer to acceptance. This slow progression from resistance to openness is a textbook application of SJT. It’s not a single persuasive act, but a series of moments—nonverbal encouragement, humor, vulnerability—that slowly expand Divine Eye’s latitude of acceptance.

Reflection

Watching Sing Sing and analyzing it through this lens changed how I think about persuasion. I often assumed persuasion was about changing someone’s mind about an issue, but this film reminded me that persuasion can also be about restoring a sense of agency and belief. It made me more aware of how identity, credibility, and small relational cues all influence whether someone is open to being persuaded. In future media interactions, I’ll be more critical of how messages target or uplift particular groups—and more appreciative of the subtle, interpersonal ways change is created.

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References

Perloff, R. M. (2020). The dynamics of persuasion: Communication and attitudes in the 21st century (6th ed.). Routledge.

Kwedar, G. (Director). (2023). Sing Sing [Film]. A24.