Multi Linear Structure of Run Lola Run - Essay Example

Multi Linear structure of “Run Lola Run” The film “Run Lola Run” does not conform to the traditional format of movie storytelling. It is not a serial narrative that flows continuously; rather it is one set scenario that is repeated three times in the film with different outcomes. It is a film different from others because it does not proceed from point A at the beginning to Point B at the end of the film, but jumps back to go over the same events again. Yet, these disparate sections achieve unity and coherence through repetition and intervening sequences that serve to establish character development and motivation. The digesis of the film narrative “Run Lola Run” does not follow the general continuous time space continuum. While the objective of the protagonist, Lola in the film is to secure 100,000 DM within the short space of twenty minutes; the film presents three scenarios to achieve this, as opposed to a single, continuous storyline that starts at the beginning of the film and proceeds through to its end. The same sequence plays three times but each time with slight differences that produce different outcomes; the first two are disastrous while the final scenario is the one that achieves a happy ending. The film thus presents three, distinct, alternative realities within the unified structure of the film (Leong, 1999), demonstrating how events can unfold in a completely different fashion based on slightly different choices. The unifying feature is a woman with a flame colored head running through the streets, creating a sense of fast paced, pulse pounding, relentless motion that keeps the viewer’s attention engaged. The same dilemma is presented at the beginning of each of the three segments, i.e, Lola needing to get together the sum of 100,000 DM, which her boyfriend owes to the crime boss, because his failure to do so could lead to him being killed. If Lola does not have the money to her boyfriend in a time span of twenty minutes, he plans to engage in a criminal activity and hold up a store. The same characters are presented in each of the three sequences, which are repeated again and again with slight variations. The film thus utilizes a cyclical time format, moving through the same events again and again rather than following the linear narrative format employed in most films, where the story proceeds through a series of sequences in a continuous time frame of action. Early film theorists such as Eisenstein (1947) have pointed out that visual information as presented in a film in the form of sequences, can be juxtaposed to give an impression of continuous action in time and space. This provides the viewer the illusion of continuity, despite the fact that he or she actually sees only certain segments of the action that is purported to have taken place. The goal of achieving the impression of continuity of action is what every film maker seeks to achieve, often using creative editing techniques geared towards this end objective. But in the film “Run Lola Run”, this traditional mode of presentation of continuity throughout the entire film is deliberately contravened. The film concentrates on a short twenty-minute time span and continuity is maintained only up to the point where each sequence ends, to be followed by some intervening shots and a return to the beginning of the same sequence. According to Eisenstein (1947), when two pieces of film are placed together, they combine to produce an entirely new concept. This is amply demonstrated in the film “Run Lola Run”, because although the same sequence repeats again and again, they produce a different effect each time, especially when viewed in the context of the intervening shots where there is some character revelation. The intervals between the running sequences comprise scenes that contribute to character development of the major characters, i.e, Lola, her boyfriend Manni and her father. They serve a dual purpose, firstly as a temporary respite from the relentless pace of the running sequences and secondly, to provide the necessary insights into the motivation and emotions of the characters. (Leong, 1999). The filmmaker does not develop character in the traditional manner in which other films accomplish the same purpose. The protagonist in the film “Run Lola Run” has to be running almost all the time and the film is purely action oriented, with the pressure of time weighing heavily on Lola. This allows little time for character development or for the viewer to understand the motivation of the characters. The filmmaker accomplishes this in the intervening scenes between the action sequences. One interlude shows Lola and her boyfriend discussing their relationship, while the other interlude shows the discussions that Lola has with her father. Another unconventional aspect of character development in the film “Run Lola Run” is the secondary characters. During each scenario, as Lola runs past certain persons on the street, the film takes the time to dwell on what happens to each character after the protagonist has passed by. (Leong, 1999).There is a wide disparity in what happens to each of them after their brief encounter with the heroine. But in this aspect the film deviates from the traditional movie making format, where the focus is upon character development of the protagonist and the secondary characters without so much attention being devoted to characters that would be considered minor from the perspective of the storyline of the film. According to Bellour (1986), a film segment is comprised of discursive spoken elements such as the order of dialogue and the persons speaking the dialogue, which are combined with non discursive visual elements such as camera angles, shot framing, lighting and sound. Eisenstein (1947) proposes that music be combined with the imagery to produce the mood that the filmmaker wishes to communicate. He states that “the search for correspondence must proceed from the intention of matching both picture and music to the general, complex “imagery” produced by the whole.” (Eisenstein, 1947:78). In the movie “Run Lola Run” the filmmaker is able to create the mood of speed and tension he wishes to communicate through the use of a pulsing, fast moving, techno sound track. The choice of orange-red hair for the protagonist Lola is deliberate, because it serves to set her apart from the rest of the people around her and allows the viewer to follow the progress of the orangish blur as a lightning streak through the streets. The filmmaker uses several zooming shots, jump editing and of kilter editing shots to convey the impression of relentless motion. On an overall basis, all these elements serve to contribute to the imagery of the film as a whole. The film is also unconventional in that it does not use the single medium of film throughout. The filmmaker uses 35mm for some sequences while he uses video filming, animation and a hand held camera for others. In one sequence, the filmmaker films Lola running in slow motion, so that the viewer sees the muscles rippling under Lola’s skin as she runs. In other scenes, the filmmaker divides the screen frame two or three different ways, with events happening in all the frames at the same time, demanding the viewer’s attention and creating a sense of urgency in the attempt to keep up with the different parts while the fast paced pop music contributes to the sense of relentless urgency. In conclusion, the film challenges traditional film making in that it does not conform to the continuous story telling pattern, but is comprised of one sequence repeated with variations and interludes in between. The medium used in the film is also different, it is not a single one but multiple, using video, hand held cameras and even animation. The visual imagery in the film is also presented in a multiple format, in the form or two to three divisions within one frame. All these devices serve to engage the attention of the viewer, despite the same sequence being repeated again and again, in a non traditional manner. References: * Bellour, R. 1986). “Segmenting/analyzing: The obvious and the code”, IN Rosen, P. (Ed.) “Narrative, apparatus, ideology: A film theory reader”, New York: Columbia University Press. * Eisenstein, Sergei, 1947. “The film form”, New York: Harcourt, Brace and Jovanovich * Leong, Andrew, 1999. “Run Lola Run Movie Review”, Available on URL: http://www.mediacircus.net/runlolarun.html; accessed June 3, 2008. Read More