Run Lola Run

This movie is a German film that came out in 1998. It is set in Berlin, Germany and chronicles 20 minutes of a woman's life. This film tells a story about the woman, Lola, whose boyfriend, Manni, needs to acquire 100,000 marks in 20 minutes or he will suffer the consequences from his boss, Ronni. This film is shot in a unique way as to show how minor details can change the course of an entire event. The movie portrays how fate controls the uncertainties of day to day life and how one event can effect the outcome of other events. This is a fast paced film that explores the different possibilities of different actions. The movie also follows several characters individual lives but also intertwines them together as it progresses.

This film uses a very uncommon style of editing to convey the sense of panic and disorder. It uses very fast cuts and wipes to transition scenes which makes it very chaotic. There are even times when three different scenes are all shown simultaneously on the screen to show time relation and significance. There are also several times when the shots will change immediately and the only thing that will change is the background but not the actor. This shows a jump in time and place. These techniques are used constantly throughout the film and can easily distort one's perception of time. Although this technique is used, the overall time continuity remains focused on the one 20 minute period of all the different characters lives (with the exception of three minor characters).

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this film. I like movies where I am forced to pay attention and try to figure out what is going on. I enjoy trying to keep up with the jumping scenes and trying to figure out what is going to happen as each scene progresses. I liked the idea of second and third chances that the movie portrays and the constantly used notion of "what if."