Another look...Run Lola Run

The use of editing in Run Lola Run makes this film a unique story of different pieces and techniques that are interwoven to create a cohesive illustration of the real life and vivid emotions that both Lola and Manni are experiencing as they face against the clock to try and save Manni's life. In my opinion, the first scene when Manni is calling Lola to tell her what happened sets the stage for the rest of the film and the editing in this scene sets the tone for the rest of the film as well.

The cutting back and forth between Lola and Manni during their phone conversation made the scene a lot more suspensful, and conveyed to me the amount of pressure they are both under, and the fear the both have of Manni being killed for his mistake. It illustrates the contrast between Manni's irrational and scared demeanor with Lola's more sensible and composed state. To me, it depicts what the dynamic most likely is within their relationship. As we can see, Manni relies on Lola to be a constant in his life. He relied on her to pick him up like she usually did and he is relying on her now to get the money that will save his life. Manni seems to be the risktaker and the provider in the relationship, and this was his one chance to make it big and now he has to deal with the possibly consequences of his negligence.

The flashbacks that occur while Manni is explaining what happened that day to Lola add more depth to the story that he is telling, and made the whole scene more real. You can see the progression of his actions, and how tedious the different steps that he had to go through were and that one mistake could ruin the entire operation. You see how Manni is out in the middle of nowhere, and that not having a ride back comprimises his task. You see the camera focus on the bum on the train, which made me curious as to what role he was going to play since the attention paid to him made him seem important within the scene. You see Manni's horrified reaction when he realizes that he forgot the bag on the train, and how his boss reacted to the one time that he forgot to return his cigarettes. It shows the audience how serious this mistake is, and if Manni's boss reacted that violently to a small mistake, that Manni is not going to live a second after 12:00.

The camera also moves around Lola's apartment and focuses on different objects that are around her while she is on the phone with Manni, adding to the chaos and insanity of the scene. You see Lola screaming and the glasses on top of her TV shattering at the sound. Then the camera cuts to the slanted window coverings, to the picture of Manni and Lola on the wall, to the dolls sitting on the table, and the turtle slowly crawling across the floor. In the background of all these shots, all you see is clutter and mess, a scene symbolic of their life and the ordeal that takes place throughout the movie. The scene that Lola is in reflects how she is feeling, overwhelmed and crazed at the thought of having to get Manni this money in 20 minutes. And then you see a long shot of Manni in the phone booth, with the scene seeming empty and less cluttered around him. Then the camera cuts into a close shot of Manni in the phone booth, looking towards the Rolle store. This editing is symbolic of the fact that Manni feels like the world is closing in on him, and that he is running out of both time and options. So he looks towards the store, and sees it as his saving grace and plans to steal money from them to get the $100,000 he needs.

Overall, the editing in this film was truly unique and created a sense of immediacy and heightened emotions that stuck with me throughout the film. I felt as though I was right there the entire time with Lola, and that time was running out to save the man I love from imminent death.