The first time I watched "Lola Run" was in an art class three years ago. I revisited it again today, and the viewing experience is even better.
"Lola Run", a film made by German director Tom Tykway in 1998, can be said to have opened a new era of film. Because since then, the use of audiovisual language in the true sense of the film has begun. Rather than saying that it is a successful commercial film, it is more appropriate to say that it is an art film. "Lola Run" is a kind of "art" that allows the human body to experience the charm of movies.
1998 was the connecting point between the 20th century and the 21st century. After entering the 21st century, the development of information became more and more rapid, the pace of people's life began to become faster, and video games began to become popular. "Lola Run" was born under the background of such an era.
The movie mainly tells the story of a red-haired girl named Lola after she learned that her boyfriend Manny had 100,000 yuan stolen by a beggar on the subway, she needed to get all the money within 20 minutes and find Manny; otherwise, Manny will be killed by the underworld boss. Then there were three possibilities, each of which corresponds to a completely different story and ending: Lola and Manny robbed the supermarket and were surrounded by the police, Lola was shot and killed; Lola grabbed the money from his father’s bank and prevented it. Manny robbed the supermarket, but Manny was hit by an ambulance when he approached her at the intersection; Laura won one hundred thousand yuan from the casino, Manny snatched one hundred thousand yuan from the beggar and gave it back to the black boss. People met and then left safely with one hundred thousand yuan.
As an exploratory film, "Run Lola" uses a three-stage repetitive narrative, and uses a plate structure to clearly separate the story. The first ten minutes serve as the opening, explaining the background of the story and the ultimate goal and task. The next twenty minutes will serve as the first line, telling the first possibility; two minutes of illusion, explaining the background of rebirth; twenty minutes of the story of the second line; three minutes of illusion, followed by rebirth; twenty minutes of the third The story of the line. This kind of narrative method and structure are unique and rigorous, and the time rules are strictly followed through editing. Later action movies such as "Edge of Tomorrow" and "Source Code" have its shadow. In addition, it also gives people a feeling of playing computer games: keep breaking through the barriers, and try again if you fail.
Time is the most important clue to this movie. The shots of the clock also appear repeatedly in the shots, giving people a sense of tension. Stimulating sound effects continue throughout the movie. In addition, there are many clues laid out in the plot of "Lola Run". In the process of watching the movie, the audience hardly relaxes their vigilance, and always sweats for all kinds of accidents that may happen in the next second. The crossroads that have appeared many times are also used as a symbol, which means that there are many unpredictable and different possibilities in the future.
"Lola Run" mainly expresses that the pace of human life has been accelerating since the modernization of mankind, and it is so fast that it is difficult to breathe; it also reflects that fate is changeable, multi-faceted, and unpredictable. Every little thing may change your life, even The life of others is just like the "Butterfly Effect"; people have countless possibilities, just like "parallel universes"; love is more than everything, and nothing is above love.
This movie uses a lot of movie language, or it can be said that this is a movie composed of many movie languages.
1. Degradation at the beginning: At the beginning of the movie, people stood on the crossroads and walked constantly, with people coming and going at a fast speed. The downgrade speeds up people's speed and dazzles them, just like the fast pace of modern society, making it difficult for people to adapt.
2. Freeze frame jump cut: The freeze frame jump cut method appears every time Rolla collides with a stranger, the screen is aimed at the designated person, and then it is still, there is a shutter sound, and the lens appears with the same "white light" as the photo is taken. Constantly quickly switch out a lot of photos. These photos signify the future fate of the character. For example, Lola met an old woman three times at the corner of the street: the first time the old woman was found stealing a child, and then he went to steal many photos of the child; the second time Lola was hit by the old woman. I stopped her and made her walk a little bit slower than before, and then the screen showed that she won the first prize in the lottery, went to the news paper, and bought photos of the villa that flashed quickly; the third time Lola didn’t bump into it. Old woman, the picture shows the old woman's faith in Christianity since then. Through comparison, these jump cuts have fully demonstrated that the world is changing every second. It can even be said that a small change in behavior may cause earth-shattering changes.
3. Upgrade: When the upgrade first appeared on the first line, Lola was accidentally hit by the police and then slowly fell to the ground, showing Lola's inner helplessness and struggle. Similarly, in the second line, Manny also upgraded Laura's attitude after his death, showing Laura's despair for the cruel reality.
4. Black and white tone: Appears within the first ten minutes of the movie, as a memory of Manny and Lola, separated from the normal tone of reality.
5. Double (split screen) lens: appeared twice. The first time was when Manny on the left half of the screen was about to walk into the supermarket and waited for Rolla at the entrance of the supermarket, while Rolla on the right half of the screen was running desperately to chase Manny. The lens of the clock implied the urgency of the time at the time, which made the audience feel nervous. At the same time, the feeling of time in different people's eyes is different: in Manny's eyes, he only needs to wait for Rolla. If Rolla does not arrive on time, Then he would break into the supermarket and rob; but for Laura, every second is critical, because if she is a little slower, even if it is only one second, the ending will be very different after that. The second split-screen lens appeared in the third line where Lola chased her father. The function of the split-screen is roughly the same as before: the left and right lenses set off and contrast with each other.
6. Simpson (reduced definition) lens: Simpson lens appeared five times in the film. The first time was the scene of a beggar taking one hundred thousand yuan in the first line; the second, third and fourth time in the three lines respectively, the scene of the conversation between Laura’s father and the "Little San"; the fifth time in the third line, the beggar and When the young man who stole the bicycle had a conversation. This shot means a story that separates the protagonists (Lola and Manny), showing that there are countless multiple points in addition to the main line.
7. Animation shot: The animation at the beginning (similar to flash) shows Rolla running in a space-time tunnel and is gradually being swallowed; after that, every scene where Rolla runs from home to downstairs encounters evil people and evil dogs. In the same way. Through the animation lens, it is novel and unique, making the picture more diversified, and making it like a game, giving people a feeling of breaking through the barriers along the way.
8. Illusion lens (red): The red illusion lens shows the gap between the illusion and reality. The illusion appeared after the first time Lola died and the second time Manny died. The red light symbolizes love and shows the intimate relationship between the two. In addition, it is like a rebirth after a game failure, as a connection between the two.
9. Repeating shots: At the beginning of the film, Manny recalled the scene of a parcel falling on the subway at that time. The screen constantly switched and repeated close-ups of Manny's parcel, showing the importance of parcels.
10. Fast editing (fast pace): Rolla's perspective (front and side) is constantly switched back and forth when running, so that the audience will not have visual and aesthetic fatigue. This also puts the whole film in a fast-paced tone.
11. Scene transition: After the death of the first line Lola, the picture gradually pulls from the close-up of Lola's face to the close-up of the eyes, the picture turns red, enters the illusion, the two talk, and then the picture turns red and returns to reality. From the close-up of Laura’s eyes on the ground gradually turning back to her face, the red package flying in the sky and the red phone are quickly cut back and forth, with Laura in the middle, making everything cut back to 20 minutes ago, with the phone falling, Laura restart.
12. Sports lens: through a large number of and diverse sports lenses, telephoto, follow-up, still, overhead, all reflect the urgency of time. The camera shakes from time to time, giving people a real and nervous feeling.
My favorite is the two illusion scenes. The pictures at that time gave people a very unreal feeling, as if they were dreaming. At that time, Lola was much more beautiful than her usual. She and Manny are cuddling together naked, they are very close, loving, and unfettered. Time seems to be slowing down at this moment, which contrasts with the usual busy life. Only when they are together is the most peaceful, happiest, and most memorable time. Everything in the world changes rapidly, but only love is eternal. Laura can do everything for Manny, the man she loves. It seems that it is really "love to bear on the big things." The love of young people, I hope it can really be vigorous and desperate.
But I'm not Laura, I can't turn time back to save the long-lost love.
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