Run_Lola_Run

Image is a way of expressing ideas and emotions, usually through the use of a physical object or phenomenon. Discuss. Images are a tool of expression utilized by Tykwer to illuminate the ideas in Run Lola Run, and underline the powerful emotions experienced during the film. Clocks are the most prominent image in Run Lola Run. From the opening of the film we see the cuckoo clock, depicted with a demonic mouth as the camera is swallowed by it, the foreboding and urgent ticking thudding in the background. Clocks symbolise the threat of time, and its malicious position in the film, counting down to Manni’s death as Lola battles against it. As a motif they are a constant reminder for the viewer of urgency and danger and that Manni’s life hangs in the balance. The glass pane is an image of fragility, which is associated with Lola’s predicament. The shattering of the glass represents how everything Lola is fighting for can be lost in one tragic slip-up, and everything falls apart. It is a metaphor of Lola’s emotional state, as she is reaching her emotional breaking point after her tragic experiences in the second run. The chain of events concept shown in the 3 different runs in the film resonates with the animation of the domino effect. In the second run, a tragic chain of events ensues, starting with Lola hurting her ankle while going down the stairs. This symbolises the events to come, like the first domino falling; the way that one decision or occurrence can lead to a totally different outcome in each run, in this case a negative outcome. Lola’s screams signify her moments of greatest distress, and her boundless determination. In her father’s office when she is desperately seeking the money, her scream breaks the glass clock. The clock is the representation of what she fears, her passion smashing it showing she has the willpower to defeat it. It is an expression of intense desire, as with her father’s money and winning in the casino. Her screams communicate intensity in Lola’s emotions that simply could not be communicated through words. Images are a means of expression used in conjunction with the story, giving depth to the underlying ideas. They are a reminder, bringing the viewer’s attention back to the theme of time, and highlighting the powerful emotions experienced in Lola’s struggle.