Minutes for 2/27/02

            On this Wednesday before spring break we discussed what would be on the exam Monday, 3/11/02, questions for Run Lola Run, and viewed some more films by Tom Tykwer.  Here is an overview of the class for the above date:

Exam

The exam is open book, open notes.  The questions are in pairs and you answer 4 questions.  Questions for the exam will come from the Cook readings on reserve in the library, the Giannetti book, the short clips we have seen from selected films such as Fellini’s La Strada and Fossbender’s Katzelmacher, and the movies we saw in class (Life Is Beautiful, Carmen, and Run Lola Run.  Professor Reimer is not big on factual elements such as dates or just discussing the plot of the movie you saw for answers on the exam.  Rather, what it means to have this kind of music or this particular camera angle is of importance.  Basically, more depth to your answer and not just a summary of the movie.

Run Lola Run Questions

Professor broke us all up into small groups ranging from 4 to 6 members to discuss the following questions:

1.      Run Lola Run tells the same episode three times.

a.      Which elements of the story are exactly the same each time, if any?  Susana was the first to speak and answered for her group that Lola’s mom was completely static while other characters were completely different each time.  Other groups answered that the phone dropped each time to start a new story, Lola running by her mom, and the mom having a conversation on the phone were also the same.

2. Which elements change?  How the different characters interact was the overall answer, but a more in depth answer would be that the plot changes each time Lola runs downstairs from her running by the bum, Mr. Meyer, and meeting her father at the bank.
3. Which elements are found in only one or two of the versions?  Lola playing the Casino, Lola running with a yellow moped and the fate of certain characters Lola meets (man on bicycle, woman with baby, and woman at bank) changes each time.

2.      What are the themes of this movie?  That is, what is the film about?  Phil answered that it’s about the chaos of life, not having enough time to do what you want to do, and the decisions you make that lead to certain consequences.

3.      Describe the music.  How does it change during the movie or does it?  The music is mostly techno, which symbolizes the beat of Lola’s heart and how fast she is moving.  Also, Professor Reimer pointed out the use of Charles Ives “The Unanswered Question” as a reference to maybe something the director was trying to say at the beginning and end of the movie.  A last music note was the use of “What A Difference A Day Makes” during a particular seen when Lola is escaping with Mani.

4.      Describe what you feel are the pivotal scenes in this film?  Why do you find these scenes important?  Most of the class agreed that Lola missing the kid at the stairs was important as far as time was concerned, missing her father at the bank, the bum getting the bicycle, and Lola catching ride in the ambulance.

5.      Why is introducing a soccer match an appropriate way to begin the film?  Whoever controls the ball controls something.  Professor Reimer noted that we are in control but we are also not in control, were almost like the dominoes at the beginning of the movie: where one falls, the next one falls.  Then again, Lola seems to have some type of control over her life when she realizes she is going to die or when she is playing in the Casino (screaming).  This is like a soccer match, in which one follows rules, makes quick decisions, and each play depends on what went before.  He also noted that Berlin played a major part in the movie because it symbolizes youth and the beginning of something new (new people).  Also Berliners would know (and most Germans) that the 20 minute sprints Lola undertakes are impossible in the city.  The distances traveled are too great to occur over that short amount of time.

Other Viewing

We also had a chance to watch two other films by Tom Tykwer, The Princess and the Warrior and Winter Sleepers.  The Princess and the Warrior showed a scene when the main character (played Franka Potente who played Lola ) gets hit by a truck and then is saved by a man who is running from some authorities.  It shows how Tykwer is having fun with a role reversal and showing the importance of humor in certain situations.  But it also shows the importance of coincidence.  Winter Sleepers involved a scene in which a skier was falling off a mountain while one of his girlfriends was leaving.  Tykwer used creative editing to tie all the characters together at the end of the movie.