Run Lola Run

Run Lola Run is an independent German film written and directed by Tom Tykwer. The film opens with the camera fixated on an antique clock, which is ticking. The techno music kicks in as swarms of people go about their day. Their speed blurs their images, which is then covered by a new frame. These scenes are cause enough to make Madonna jealous that they were not included in her “Ray of Light” video. There’s a man rattling on about questions and answers. It is all irrelevant in the end.

The concept of the film is that life is a game. Through its twists and turns one makes decisions affecting their destinies. The timing of events plays a significant role.

Lola and Manni are the two main characters. They are lovers. Manni works for some crime boss and botches a robbery by forgetting the 100,000 marks on the subway, which a bum picks up. He has to have the money back by 12:00 noon. Because Lola was negligent in picking him up from the heist, she feels responsible for his predicament. He calls her from a brilliant yellow phone booth, in which he is filmed in most of the movie.

The urgency in the film is depicted through the director’s use of red. Lola’s phone and hair are red. A red ambulance passes through the streets. Even the love scene has a red hue to it.

After a long piercing scream Lola hangs up on Manni and starts running. She runs to the bank. The people she knocks accidentally into on the streets have their destinies flashed before us.

There are three possible outcomes in the film. The first is a tragic ending with Lola being shot. The second ending has Manni hit by the ambulance. The third and final ending has Lola and Manni reunited 100,000 marks ahead of the game.

My favorite scene in the movie is when Lola is in the casino. She places two bets on number twenty. The second bet she places leaves her in euphoric screaming that breaks every glass in the place and stops everyone around her. And when she wins they’re still stunned. Her screams had to be one of the highlights of the film.

Run Lola Run is an enjoyable movie to watch, especially if you are into alternative, artsy films. The subtitles go fast but so does the film. The animation in the film is a perk also.