Run Lola Run (1998)
Lola run Lola provides alternative sets of outcomes from events taking place from the same beginning. The plot creates suspense as the three stories in the film unfold. The film is introduced by a quote asserting that "We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time." however the best shot that describes the title of this essay is where Lola is running towards Manni's direction and meets an old woman whom she asks what the time was. Time factor was a crucial component in the film since it was the reason Lola was running faster causing mayhem along the way just to save her boyfriend on time. As she runs, the film shows different “And then” scenarios whose functions this paper seeks to outline.
The first scenario is where Lola’s mother is complaining about her husband’s physical condition. She says “and then I am afraid, it’s worst at night and then I ask myself what I am doing here” the function of this scenario is to prepare the audience for some of Lola’s paternal problem. The man whom she thinks she is her father disowns her when she south for his help. Lola discovers the man is not her father and therefore he is not going to help her at all.
The second scenario is when Lola is running along the road, and a man on a bicycle is asking her to join his ride. However, Lola mockingly refuses the man's request who in the "and then” scenario is seen knocking down pedestrians along the way. The scene shows that Lola was determined to help her boyfriend, and the only person he could trust to assist her in this course was her father.
The third scenario is whereas Lola runs towards her father's office and knocks a woman walking along the corridor. The scene shows this woman in the hospital then on a wheelchair showing that whatever actions Lola was taking had a direct impact on the people around her. She, therefore, had to learn on how to make her choices without affecting the people around her.
The scenarios also function as an indicator of the effect of poor timing. For instance, as Lola runs slower in the second story that she did in the first one because she had tripped over the staircase, her slight lateness at arriving at each scene shapes the events summarized by the “and then” scenarios. Further, through the scenarios Lola learns through one story to another like she learns about using a gun that she later used to coerce the father to give her the money.
The scenarios also depict the manner in which Lola resolves her problems. They show her encounter the same people along the way whose help she ignores. However, her timing varies; their futures are different from hers. The difference can be explained by the time she can reach her destination after the run. As the sound in the film indicate "It's not just what a difference a day makes but what a difference mere second make to everyone’s life.”
It is clear that these scenes play a pivotal role in the film. They not only foretell the direction the film is taking, but also act as a flashback method for the audience to remember the past events in the film. Most importantly, however, proper timing is required for us to achieve our objectives. This may be the moral of the "and then" scenarios in the film.
Reference
Lola Rennt (1998). Run Lola Run: Deutsch with English subtitles. Retrieved from
http://vdownload.eu/watch/5466151-lola-rennt-1998-deutsch-with-english-subtitles.html
