FILM STEXT NARRATIVE€¦ · the film. Features of the trailer were its escalating pace, use of mu-sic, rhythmic editing - and the overall sense of energy that characterizes Run Lola

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FOCUS ONNARRATIVE

KATEMATTHEWS

t the Berlin Internation-al Film Festival's 'Talent Cam-pus' event in 2003, both TomTykwer, director of Run LoiaRun (1998) and Mathiide Bon-nefoy, the fiim's editor, ranworkshops. One insight theyprovided into their workingprocesses was the screen-ing of a 'teaser' trailer for RunLola Run, shot and edited inthe early stages of produc-tion. The trailer had to be cre-ated for early marketing pur-poses but both Tykwer andBonnefoy came to view it asa pivotal resource in the en-suing stages of production.

Realizing that it successfullycaptured the 'feel' they want-ed, they could now use it asa reference point for those el-ements that may not neces-sarily be captured in a script- such as style, rhythm, andmood - and as a concrete ex-ample of the role post-pro-duction elements like mu-sic and editing could play inthe film.

Features of the trailer were itsescalating pace, use of mu-sic, rhythmic editing - and theoverall sense of energy thatcharacterizes Run Lola Run.

According to Bonnefoy, whatstood out was not that it was'true to any particular sceneor intention in the film', butthat it was 'fast and associa-tive, like the pure expressionof a feeling'. The adoption ofthe teaser as a 'template' ledthe team to cut scenes fromthe original script that nowwent against the grain of thefilm's direction.

For Bonnefoy. this symbol-ized the transformation of thefilm from an 'intellectual' toan 'aesthetic' object. It is in-teresting that she never read

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Tykwer's script - instead shewas given raw footage andworked only with this. Bon-nefoy's attitude was that ascript functions as a guidefor the director - and for aneditor, a collection of shotstakes its place. For her, shesaid, shots were like words.Tykwer also pointed out thatit was important for him to

tbe form of Lola - how thestory is communicated, notjust what happens in it - isessential to how it works andtbe resulting audience expe-rience.

In their very useful book FilmArt: An Introduction, DavidBordwell and Kristin Thomp-son discuss the 'form versus

pall. Under this assumption.form becomes less importantthan whatever it is presumedto contain. We do not acceptthis assumption ...^

Bordweli and Thompson pro-pose tbat all parts of a filmfunction together and cue, orprompt, the audience to per-ceive it in a particular way.

The way the audience experiences a film as a whole depends

upon both narrative and stylistic elements, With Lolahe value

ot this approach to film analysis is clear, It is hard to separate

'story' from 'form' in / .o /a - in many ways, its form is its story

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have bis director of photog-raphy, editor and sound teaminvolved from an early stage(with Lola, weeks beforestarting the film).'

These insights indicate theimportance of more than justa script, or traditional ele-ments of story like charac-ters and events, in even theearly development of RunLola Run. They suggest that

content' question, which isrelevant in this context:

Very often people assumethat 'form' as a conceptis the opposite of some-thing called 'content'. Thisassumption applies that apoem or a musical piece ora film is like a jug: an exter-nal shape, the jug containssomething that could justas easily be held in a cup or

Tbe form/content division iscomparable to another divi-sion commonly made, thatbetween 'style' and 'sub-stance', or 'style' and 'story'.Such divisions may be use-ful up to a point. Bordwelland Thompson, wbile not fa-vouring a 'form' and 'con-tent' division, do divide filmform overall into two main ar-eas -narrative form, involv-ing story elements like char-

acters, events and plot - andstylistic elements like sound,editing and cinematography.However, rather than priv-ileging one over the otber,they write of them function-ing together. The way the au-dience experiences a film asa wbote depends upon bothnarrative and stylisticelements.^ Witb Lota the val-ue of this approach to filmanalysis is clear. It is bard toseparate 'story' from 'form'in Lola - In many ways, itsform is its story.

This Time It'll Work Out;Narrative Form in RunLola RunThe defining feature of Lota'snarrative struoture is its treat-ment of time. The narrativehas a 'multiform' plot {onebased on multiple alterna-tives or multiple perspec-tives)'' - the multiple alter-natives in tbis instance aretbree ways the same twen-ty minutes could play out.In a break-neck setup a tel-ephone conversation pro-vides the film's basic situa-tion. Lola's boyfriend Manni

{Moritz Bleibtreu) is in trouble- he has lost 100,000 marksbelonging to his gangsterboss. Lola (Franka Potente)must find 100,000 marks andbring it to Manni within twen-ty minutes.

The plot then enters its 'mul-tiform' phase - it repeatsthis pivotal 'tv r̂enty minutes'three times in a row, eachstarting when Lola runs fromher house. Each time, eventsplay out differently. The firstresults in Lola's death, thesecond, Manni's death andthe third - suocess.

While time is portrayed moreor less chronologically with-in these repetitions of time,there is one exception thatextends the multiform narra-tive. Lola, in her frantic esca-pade, coincides with a seriesof 'random' characters thatappear in every repetition.After some of these ohanoemeetings, the words 'ANDTHEN' announce a flash-for-ward - in a rapid still-imagesequence we see the majorevents that happen next inthe lives of these minor char-

aoters. In eaoh repetition, notonly is the outcome differentfor Lola, but for them also.

This concern with present-ing the outcomes of seem-ingly minor encounters re-flects a central theme of thefilm: chance. In the three rep-etitions there are both simi-larities and differences in theway things play out. Lola al-ways coincides with Mr Mei-er (Ludger Pistor), her father(Herbert Knaup)'s work col-league, as he emerges fromhis driveway, always arrivesat her father's work while heis talking to his secret lov-er (Nina Petri), always runsdown a particular street atthe same time an ambu-lance almost collides witha pane of glass - and the'bum' (Joachim Krol), whohas Manni's money, is al-ways somewhere just aroundthe corner. But small chang-es have a big impaot, settingoff different 'domino chains'of incidental moments.

Twice, Lola's run-in with MrMeier causes him to havea orash and miss his meet-

ing with Lola's father - andLola's arrival cuts off her fa-ther's conversation with hislover at slightly - but crucial-ly - different moments. Onthe third repetition, Lola's ex-change with Mr Meier meanshe doesn't crash. He makesit to the meeting and Lola ar-rives to find her father gone- she must seek the moneyelsewhere.

Even Lola's and Manni'sdeaths are quite random -not a result of one bad de-cision but of a collection ofminor oircumstances. In thesecond repetition, for in-stanoe, Lola brings the mon-ey on time - but the ambu-lance runs Manni over as hewalks to meet her.

This is not just a sto-ry about whether Lola canfind 100,000 marks in twen-ty minutes: it is also aboutthe extent to which coinci-dence, chanoe and seeming-ly random encounters influ-ence her fate. The film tellsthis story not only by set-ting up a dramatic situationbut also by using a multiform

plot in which time repeats. Itis thus the form of the storyand not just the events thatit presents that enables Lolato convey one of its mainpoints.

Even the setup emphasiz-es ohance: Manni's predica-ment stems in part from thechance theft of Lola's mopedand his resulting run-in with'the bum' on the train. Infaot, this is the seoond setupof the film. Pre-credits, wesee a more abstract scene.The camera tracks through amass of people, occasional-ly settling on characters lat-er revealed as our 'incidental'players, to finally reach thesecurity guard (Armin Rohde)who says, 'The ball is round.The game lasts ninety min-utes. All else is pure theo-ry' as he tosses a soccer ballinto the air.

One might also say the tel-ephone conversation is thefilm's setup - introducing thecentral dramatic situation -and the first scene with thecrowd is a thematic setupthat introduces the central

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idea of chance. The soccermetaphor suggests that be-yond the basics of players,fieid, timeframe and rules,anything could happen. Lo-la's 'baii game' is establishedin the dramatic setup. Thefield - Berlin; the players -Lola, Manni and a large sup-porting cast; the game - tofind 100,000 marks in twen-ty minutes. As the multiformplot goes on to show - any-thing can happen.

At first glance the use of amultiform narrative seemscontrary to the 'tradition-al' story arc found in manyfilms, often called the Three-Act Structure. Acts One, Twoand Three correspond to theidea of a beginning, middleand end, or setup, develop-ment and resolution. WhileLota has a very clear setup/beginning, it then appearsto offer not a single middleand end, but three of each.Nonetheless, many featuresof 'classic' cinematic narra-tive are present. A disrup-tion or problem (Manni is introuble) is introduced to theworld of a central charac-

ter (Lola). This triggers theresulting action, giving thecentral character a goal (Lolamust get Manni the mon-ey in time). The 'develop-ment' revolves around Lola'sprogress towards this goaland the many obstacles sheencounters. The story struc-ture creates rising tensionthat eventually builds to a cli-max - and the resolution ofthe opening problem.

Tykwer himself believes hisfilm is only structurally 'new''from the outside' - that it'continues to work accordingto the structural principles,which were the mainstay ofclassicists'. In particular hehopes the emotional journeyin the film will be a continu-al, rather than repetitive, one- that the rising tension andaudience engagement that'classic' structure strives forare present in Lola:

Lola is a continual journey forme, and the most importantthing is that the audiencefeels that Lola has really ex-perienced the different pos-sibilities that we show in the

film. Not only the last twentyminutes. And that the audi-ence goes with the emotionof the film ... wanting that atthe end, she is rewarded foreverything she has had to gothrough ...^

In this light, we could saythat Lola's structure containsnot three middles and ends- but one middle where timehappens to repeat as theprotagonist faces the manyobstacles to her goal.

Lola's use of both a mul-tiform plot and a 'classic'story arc suggests a cen-tral contradiction. Wherethe multiform plot primari-ly reflects the idea of coinci-dence and chance, the clas-sic narrative is concernedwith an active protagonist as'causal agent' - somebodywho is the primary causeand centre cf events, rath-er than one 'incidental' ele-ment among many others ofequal weight'. Tykwer con-siders this conundrum in aninterview;

Everything is influenced by

the smallest situation. It's avery controversial thought.If everything is important,nothing is important. But onthe other hand, I don't be-lieve that. You have to chal-lenge coincidence, and thereis a path to take. All odds areagainst Lola, and at the end.it shows it's not by chancethat she changes fate, it's re-ally her passionate, posses-sive desire to change thesystem that she is stuck in.And the system is time.^

Run Lola Run's form plac-es the wiil of the individu-al against the power of coin-cidence. Although It gives astrong showing to both, ulti-mately things land en Lola'sside. Repetition three takeson a mystical tone. It seemsLola is not so much beatingchance as cutting a deal withit, as she runs, eyes shut, si-lently pleading: Come on.Help me please. Just thisonce. I'll just keep runningok? I'm waiting ... I'm waiting... I'm waiting...

These words - and a nearcollision with a truck - find

her at the casino steps,where she wins her 100,000marks simply by wanting itenough - and through thepower of her desperate,giass-shattering scream asthe roulette bail rounds thetable.

The Sound of Lola'sFootsteps; Stylistio Formin Run Lola RunLola 's narrative form - andnot just the events with-in it - communicates its sto-ry and themes. At the sametime, stylistic form operatesto both oreate and supportthe story.

if, as Tykwer hopes, we ulti-mateiy experience Lota as acontinuum, fiowing from be-ginning to end, rather than asthree aiternatives, what fur-ther eiements of form enablethis to happen?

As well as its multiform nar-rative, a defining feature ofLola is that 'fast and asso-ciative' nature that Bonne-foy mentioned - 'iike thepure expression of a feel-ing.' This 'feeling' is a largepart of what makes Lota notjust an exploration of chancebut a dynamic expression ofthe energy of its central char-acter and the power of herneed. Stylistic elements ofsound and image - in partic-ular musio. motion and edit-ing - are vital influences.

It is easy when identifyingcentral ideas and themes ina cinematic story to restriotourselves to inteiiectual andnarrative-based concepts -but themes and ideas basedon image, motion and soundcan coexist with these at thecentre of a work. It is inter-esting that Tykwer's start-ing point for Lota was a sim-ple image:

It was a woman running ...I think the idea of making adynamic film is a basic de-sire among filmmakers ...Film has to do with dynam-ics, with explosiveness. Arunning human brings every-thing together: explosive dy-namics and emotions, be-cause in this movement, thehuman is highly expressive -whether it is desperation, joyor whatever... There is alsoan element of childish enthu-siasm for this most simple ofall cinema images: a personin motion.^

Motion is vita! in Lola - thefiim's main feeling is of re-lentless motion and speed.Its central, recurring image isof Lola running. Bonnefoy'sediting is another fundamen-tal infiuence on the overall

- not to match 'reality' butto create emphasis, tensionand contrast in the story. Forexample, when Lola runs, thefiim might cut from her run-ning in Location A to her run-ning in Location B. This is acondensation of time, withthe period in which we as-sume she got from A tc B iscut out. At times this type ofcondensation is used to fast-track the narrative. Yet, thereare also often cuts betweenmultiple angles of Lola run-ning and even occasionalslow motion to add empha-sis to this essential image inthe film.

Fast edits give us a feelingof rhythm and speed - evenwhen time is being 'expand-ed'. For example, the filmemphasizes Lola screaming

hile Lola has a very c

Perhaps most fundamentalto Lola's 'rhythm' is its mu-sic, a near-constant pres-ence. Music performs twoparticularly important func-tions.

Firstly, it creates rhythm andstructure that we respondto mostly at a subconsciouslevel. For instance, althoughthe music does not comefrom inside the story world,if it is building to a climax wefeel that the same must behappening in the story. Mu-sic has its own pace - if themusic is fast, this adds to thefeeling of time moving quick-ly and moving forward. Eachtime Lola sets out runningthere is high octane, fast-tempo music in full swing.In her encounters with oth-er characters, this tends to

ear setup,beginning, it then appears to offer no

a e e eot eaoh, Nonetheiess, many features

ot 'oiassio' oinematio narrative arepresen

sense of energy - and a vi-tal component of the film'streatment of time.

The narrative structure isbased on the same twen-ty minutes {in story time) re-peating three times. The timeeach twenty-minute repeti-tion takes on screen is in factslightly less - between 15and 18 minutes. Within theseintervals, editing is used tocondense and expand time

The bag!' on the phone toManni by repeating this im-age from different angles. Al-though it's a repetition, wefeel as though we are mov-ing forward in time: the fastcuts give the impression ofspeed, of a visual 'beat'. Incontrast, more contemplativemoments tend to use iong-er shots, creating a feelingcloser to 'real time' - and ofstillness.

drop back a little, but it re-mains in the background,maintaining a sense of ur-gency. The moments withoutmusic tend to feel contem-plative, serious, still.

Secondly, music works at anemotional level, connectingus with the feelings of char-acters or situations. Desper-ate music over a shot of acharacter running gives us aclue to not only how she is 57

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feeling but also what our re-action to this should be. Thechange in music in the thirdrepetition is a good exam-ple: the 'mystical' easterntone that appears suggeststhings are different, fhat Lolamay now be able to influencechance.

Music is fundamental fo theway the film bridges the mo-ments when time 'rewinds'.There is a disjointed natureto these scenes, with a leapfrom Lola or Manny dying, toa scene of the pair talking inbed, and back again. Wherewe might stop to questionthis, the music emerges topick us up and carry us on,kicking in with full force asLola once again leaves herhouse.

Another stylistic techniquethat helps the viewer createconnections between differ-ent parts of the film is Tykw-er's use of different visu-al media. Flashbacks are inblack-and-white. Flash-for-wards use still-images. Atthe beginning of each repeti-tion, as Lola runs downstairs,animation is used. Scenescontaining Lola and Man-ni are shot on 35mm film,scenes without them on vid-eo, so that the visuals arericher when they are present.According to Tykwer, this isintended to create a con-trast between them and the'rest of the world', makingtheir reality seem 'more real',more vivid and intense.'"

These different visual me-dia, then, help fhe view-er understand not only howscenes relate to each oth-er through time but how theyoperate within the structureof the story - and even howwe might relate to them at anemotional level. Although thedifferences are clear when

pointed out, or on repeatviewing, the initial effect onthe audience may be large-ly subconscious. Nonethe-less a system is created thatprovides cues or signpostsfor the audience as the filmprogresses.''

While stylistic form supportsboth fhe classic and multi-form elements in the film, ul-timately it does seem to em-phasize the emotional, 'clas-sical' development of thestory. It works to create aflow and shape for the wholefilm, not just each section -to transport the film, as Bon-nefoy says, from intellectualto aesthetic object.

At this point it is worth not-ing Tykwer's concern that hisuse of form be understoodas not simply an intellectu-al exercise or experiment,nor as an empty adoption of'contemporary style'. In vari-ous interviews, he emphasiz-es his wish that viewing Lolawiil be a seamless, 'invisi-ble' experience ... that theaudience will not conscious-ly notice the form but insteadtake the journey witb his leadcharacter.'̂ Rather than be-ing applied 'on top of a sto-ry', then, Tykwer intends thestylistic elements in his filmto work hand-in-hand withnarrative elements - for allto have a function in com-municating the story and itsthemes and creating an over-all cinematic experience.

Conclusion

Lola's form, comprising ofboth narrative and stylisticelements, does not simplycontain the story or content -to some extent it is the story.With any film it is importantto remember that elementsat all levels, be they sound,image or story.

work together. When analys-ing any film, it is valuable tothink about how each ele-ment functions.

Kate Matthews is the directorof some internationally suc-cessful short films and a grad-uate from RMITs GraduateDipioma in Animation and In-teractive Media. She alsostudied Cinema and English atthe University of Melbourne. •

Endnotes' Tom Tykwer, 'Post Pro-

duction Workshop' andMathilde Bonnefoy, 'ThePower of Editing', Work-shops at the Berlinale Tal-ent Campus, Berlin, Ger-many, 2003. (For furtherinformation on this eventsee http://www.berlinale-talentcampus.de)

^ David Bordwell and Kris-tin Thompson, Film Art:An Introduction, third edi-tion, McGraw Hill, NewYork, 1990, p.35.

^ ibid, pp.33-35."• The 'multiform' plot is

perhaps most oftennamed in relation to in-teractive works and vid-eo games; for instance,by Janet Murray, who de-fines it as 'a wriften ordramatic narrative thatpresents a single situationor plotline in multiple ver-sions, versions that wouldbe mutually exclusive inour ordinary experience'.[Janet H. Murray, Ham-tet on the t-tolodeck. FreePress, New York, 1997, p.30.] However, it is also auseful term in relation tofilms.

^ Tom Tykwer, 'AnythingRuns', Interview, Tom-Tykwer.com, http://www.tomtykwer.com/03_filmographie/34_lola_rennt/index.shtml Ac-cessed 6 December 2006.

^ ibid.

See Bordwell and Thomp-son, op. cit.. pp.70-71for further discussion offhe protagonist as causalagent and 'classic' narra-tive.

Tom Tykwer, interview, inRay Pride, 'Speed of Life',Filmmaker, Spring 1999,http://www.

filmmakermagazine.com/spring1999/speed_of_life.php Accessed 6 Decem-ber 2006.

Tom Tykwer, 'AnythingRuns', interview, loc. cit.ibid.Even the choice of actors,for a German audience atleast, operates as a sim-ilar type of signpost. Ac-cording to Tykwer: 'otherpeople in different coun-tries might not know butmost of the supportingcast of the film are quitefamous actors in Germa-ny - the idea was ... thatall of them are possiblelead actors so you alwaysexpect fhe film to say,OK. now we'll follow thischaracter for the rest ofthe movie ..." fTom Tykw-er, Director's Commen-tary, Run Lola Run. 1998,DVD, Sony Pictures Enter-tainment/Columbia TristarHome Video Australia)For instance, Tom Tykwerin Ray Pride, loc. cit.