Illocutionary Acts Found in “The Gorge” Movie

Abstract

This study aims to describe the types of illocutionary acts based on Searle’s (1979) theory and analyze their purposes through five components of illocutionary force proposed by Searle and Vanderveken (1985) in The Gorge movie. A descriptive qualitative approach was employed, with data consisting of character utterances containing illocutionary acts in the film’s dialogues. The data were collected through repeated observation of the movie, transcription and classification of relevant utterances, and analysis according to speech-act types and illocutionary-force components. The findings reveal that all five types of illocutionary acts occur in the characters’ interactions, namely assertives, directives, commissives, expressives, and declarations. Assertives are the most frequent, realized through claiming, informing, stating, affirming, and believing; directives include asking, ordering, commanding, and suggesting; commissives are less frequent and consist mainly of offering and promising; expressives involve apologizing, expressing anger or disgust, thanking, and showing liking; while declarations occur rarely, with only one clear instance. The analysis further shows that the purposes of these acts are shaped by illocutionary point, propositional content, preparatory conditions, sincerity conditions, and degree of strength. These components demonstrate how characters use language to establish facts, exercise control, express emotions, commit themselves to future actions, and alter operational situations. Speaker authority and contextual circumstances determine the force and legitimacy of utterances, particularly during military and medical situations. In the high-stakes context of the film, utterances function not merely as verbal exchanges but as deliberate actions that sustain existing realities, negotiate interpersonal power, and create consequential changes within the narrative.