Analysis Of Cinematography Techniques In Run Lola Run
In Run Lola Run, the opening sequence shows Lola standing in her room talking on the phone with Manni, her boyfriend. She is caught up in Manni’s troubles as she has a mission to get 100,000 marks to her boyfriend in a matter of twenty minutes. However, the mission remains uncertain because no one actually knows what may happen and whether or not she will effectively achieve the amount of money needed given the timeframe she has. She is seen to be thinking about who is going to help her during the crisis. She storms out of the room after looking at the clock, rushing down the long, spiralling staircases and then eventually escorting out of her apartment building to begin her mission.
In the beginning, where Lola is seen in her room, a fast-paced tracking shot is filmed that surrounds Lola intertwining between herself and the pictures of people she is thinking about. The Director Tom Tykwer, makes use of the tracking camera shot to dramatize the situation she is currently faced with. This technique demonstrates the inner conflict of the character, where the rotation of the frame creates a whirling illusion that cinematically shows Lola's tension and anxiety.
The use of zoom is often used to illustrate the character's reactions and emotions. It also helps to closely emphasize the details of objects. In the scene where Lola is in her room, the clip makes use of many zooming effects. When Lola turns her head towards the clock to see the time, the camera zooms into the clock very closely, and then captures Lola’s reaction. This type of camera technique expresses the Lola’s emotions of fear, pressure, and distress which creates tension for the viewer. Another illustration of a zooming effect being used is when the camera changes the attention to the screen, capturing the dominoes falling, producing a domino effect that is used to deliberately build anticipation and tension that correlates well with the uncertainty that Lola is feeling.
The scene where Lola is leaving her apartment building, the camera movement captures a long-shot to a close-up shot from her running towards the entrance gate. This type of technique is called the Crane Shot which is used to lift a camera from high to low shooting positions and vice versa. In the scene, we can see the camera moving down while tilting up facing Lola as she runs towards the camera. This can be seen as a situational shot because the camera is showing the surrounding background and then focusing its movement onto Lola. This builds a tension between these two factors, the setting itself and the character. This indicates how the scenario is going to take place, as it ends up with Lola running towards the camera which guides the viewer through her own thoughts. The purpose of this technique is to allow the viewer to follow the direction the character is going from a bird’s eye viewpoint. The continuous transition from one shot to the other reflects this concept of visual motion. Constant camera movements such as the crane shot make the viewer feel as if they are moving or flying through the air. The crane shot also allows the viewer to see the bigger picture, as it reveals a wide geographic perspective of the setting that captures all the small details and juxtaposition of elements.
Slow motion is used in the opening sequence where Lola throws the red phone up in the air. The effects of slow motion are typically used to add a deeper intensification to the pace of the scene. It also creates a dramatic feeling to the scene that grabs the audience’s attention to the important details which would otherwise go unnoticed if it was shot at a normal pace.
In Run Lola Run, Tykwer uses many jump cuts, particularly when portraying Lola’s running. Jump cuts indicate that when cutting to a shot of the same object or person as was in the previous shot, the camera angle must transition at least thirty degrees throughout the scene. This is called the jump shot as the angle does not change by thirty degrees. This type of camera style makes the viewers aware of the transition. The use of various camera angles during the conversation between Manni and Lola over the phone does not allow the narrative to be visually acclimatised. The interplay of low-angle shots, close-ups, and medium frames generate contrast in photographs. This modification of photos creates an impression of visible motion, in which the idea of motion becomes a key component for interpreting and understanding the story.
The use of techno-music creates an energetic and stimulating atmosphere. The soundtrack has an upbeat, drum and bass type of sound which correlates well with the game-like plot as it creates rhythm. There are various sound effects used in the opening sequence of the film such as the ringing of the phone and ticking of the clock are intensified with camera effects to convey a sense of significance.
In Run Lola Run, several themes are highlighted to generate meaning into the film. One of the most apparent motifs shown in the opening sequence is the colour red, which is frequently used to create meaning. Initially, we see the character Lola who herself has bright, red hair which gives the impression that she is a fierceful, strong and charismatic individual who will do everything in her power to get what she wants. The red phone emphasizes the importance of Manni's telephone call Lola gets. There are many meanings behind the colour red. For instance, the colour red could represent the concepts of death, danger, warning, love, powerness and fearlessness which are all relevant themes seen throughout the film. To emphasise the importance of time, Tykwer introduces recurring motifs and symbols such as clocks and watches. The concept behind the shot of the clock depicted in the film’s opening sequence reveals how a mission revolves around time, reflecting how fragile it is because every second matters but it often goes unnoticed. Tykwer uses various elements to express specific meaning which is quite clear that there is no significant amount of dialogue, but rather the film is told by images, symbols, and motifs that convey particular meaning.
