Run Lola Run essay

Analyse how one or more of the following helped you understand a main character or individual in the movie: Costume...Make-up...Soundtrack...Cinematography...Voice

Lola is the main character in the movie Run Lola Run, directed by Tom Tykwer, and is the character who drives all the action. She is a contrast to many of the other characters in the film, and is definitely far from perfect. In a role-reversal within the film, Lola is the hero who saves the day, getting the 100,000 marks her boyfriend Manni needs in order to basically avoid being killed by gang leader Ronnie. Lola is an intelligent, strong-willed character, determined to get what she wants no matter what obstacles she may face.

In the film, Lola's costume is made up of a cut-off type singlet, and jean-type pants. She has a tattoo surrounding her belly-button, and she had a trademark short haircut of fire-engine red hair. She also wears little/no make-up. This helps us to understand her character as it illustrates her fiery temper, and rebellious, non-conforming nature. It also shows how she doesn't fit the usual stereotypical images of females in similar characters in other pieces of literature. Her red hair especially symbolises her temper, and love and passion felt for her boyfriend Manni.

The soundtrack in the film is essentially all fast-tempo techno music. A large portion of the music used in the film was also composed and performed by the director himself. The music used in the film is unusual by most modern film standards, and this links in with Lola's non-comformity. The fast tempo of the music also symbolises her race against time to get the money for Manni.

The cinematography of the film is also significant in helping us to understand Lola's character. The red-filter dream sequences especially are symbolic in the film, illustrating Lola and Manni's love and passion towards each other, and their philosophical natures. These sequences appear twice in the film, each one following the deaths of Lola and Manni. They show Lola and Manni lying together in bed, talking about the future, and what each of them would do if the other one was to die.

In conclusion, I think the film elements that helped me to understand Lola's character the most were her costume and the soundtrack. Even though im not the kind of person to judge someone based on their looks, I feel that Lola's costume is very symbolic of her personality and character. The soundtrack also stood out to me and helped me understand Lola's character better as it was very different from the soundtracks I am used to hearing in other movies I have watched.