Run Lola Run
Studio: Sony Year: 1998 Rated: R Program Length: 80 minutes Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 1080p Languages: German Dolby TrueHd 5.1 English (dubbed) Dolby TrueHD 5.1 Spanish 5.1 Portuguese 5.1 Subtitles: English English SDH French Spanish Portuguese |
The Program
We all like to believe that we are in control of our lives, but I sometimes find myself thinking about how often sheer chance has had a profound effect upon me. Random events have repeatedly influenced the jobs I have held, the people I have gotten to know, and the places I have lived. For example, at the end of my last year in college I had two job interviews scheduled with two very different businesses. One interview had to be cancelled at the last minute because the basement in the house where I was living flooded and required my attention. The other interview was held a day or two later, and I got that job. How much would my life have changed if I had been able to attend the first interview and had been offered that position? Who knows where I would be today or what I would be doing if that basement had not flooded?
Run Lola Run is a kinetic rush of a film which poses questions about how much of life is ruled by fate. Set in Berlin, it is the story of two lovers whose lives have suddenly spun out of control. Manni (Moritz Bleibtreu) works for a mobster and has been given an assignment to collect 100,000 Deutschmarks, the payoff on a deal involving stolen Mercedes-Benz automobiles. The exchange for the money takes place in a remote area, and Manni’s girlfriend Lola (Franka Potente) is supposed to pick him up at the conclusion of the transaction. However, unbeknownst to Manni, Lola is unable to get there on time because a thief steals her moped when she stops to pick up a pack of cigarettes. Manni, carrying a bag of cash, makes his way to the subway. When the train stops at a station and two police officers come aboard, Manni panics and gets off, momentarily forgetting the bag which he has left on his seat. When he tries to get back on the train he arouses the suspicions of the police officers, who stop him for questioning. As the train pulls out of the station, the bag is picked up by a homeless man while Manni looks on in despair.
Manni frantically calls Lola, who by this time has returned to her apartment with no idea about what has become of her boyfriend. He then tells her that he needs her to figure out a way to raise 100,000 marks in twenty minutes, which is when he is scheduled to turn over the cash to his mob boss. Manni is certain that if he does not have the money by noon, he will be killed. Lola then begins to literally run for help.
What follows is truly original. We get to see three different versions of what might have happened, all three of which turn out in profoundly different ways because of random events which occur along the way. Director Tom Tykwer developed the idea from a short film which he had previously made. In the short film, he examined a couple having an argument and how the quarrel could have turned out three dissimilar ways, depending upon how the couple handled it. In Run Lola Run he shows how a minute here or a chance encounter there makes all the difference in Lola's ability to raise the money and get it to Manni in time. The three segments actually play out in real time, and the excitement never lets up. It is also an impressive achievement from a stylistic standpoint. It is visually stunning, all the more so because it was made on a very modest budget.
Run Lola Run was filmed in German and shown theatrically with English subtitles. There is also a dubbed English soundtrack, which is discussed in more detail below.
The Video
The 1080p Blu-ray widescreen transfer is very solid and is a feast for the eyes. It is also very intriguing because the picture quality deliberately changes for certain scenes. Flashbacks are shown in somewhat lower-resolution black and white, as are scenes in which neither Lola nor Manni are present. This serves to heighten the immediacy of the majority of the scenes in which one of both of them is present. The colors are bold and vibrant, including one animated scene (shown three times with minor variations) which is extremely well-done. Lola’s red hair almost seems to be on fire as she runs through the streets of Berlin. Flesh tones appear to be very natural. Compression artifacts are not a problem. There are some jumpy hand-held shots which may bother some viewers, but here they add to the tension the viewer feels. There are also a number of split-screen sequences which are used to good effect. This is an excellent Blu-ray presentation.
The Audio
The German Dolby Digital TrueHD 5.1 audio is excellent. The surround channels get to do a fair amount of work here and I felt like the audio totally enveloped me in the action on the screen. The pulsating musical soundtrack works extremely well. The bass is very rich and deep. Directionality is excellent and the German dialogue is always clear. The English TrueHD 5.1 track is also quite good, and the dubbing is well-done. The producers did make some curious choices for the English soundtrack, however. For example, on the English soundtrack the lost money is referred to as dollars instead of marks, which is incongruous because anyone looking at the cash can see that it is not dollars. For some fun, listen to the English soundtrack and turn the English subtitles on and you will see other instances – as when a “bag” in the subtitles becomes a “sack” in the English dubbing -- where the words do not match up.
The Supplements
The supplemental materials on Run Lola Run are sparse but worthwhile. There is a commentary track with Franka Potente and director Tom Tykwer which appears to be the same commentary that appeared on the DVD which was released in 1999. At that time Potente and Tykwer were living together, but they broke up several years ago. The Blu-ray release also includes a music video, which I understand also was included on the DVD. The one new extra is a “making of” featurette entitled “Still Running,” which contains many interesting tidbits. Franka Potente appears to be an accomplished runner in the film, and she certainly got a workout while making the film, but she is quick to point out that she actually hates running. Tykwer discusses how he sometimes had difficulty remembering which of the three sequences they were shooting, as all three versions of how the story plays out were filmed simultaneously. The featurette is in English stereo, as both Potente and Tykwer speak English fluently.
Other Features
The pop-up menu allows the viewer to change audio selections, turn sub-titles on and off, and turn the commentary on and off while the film continues to play.
The Packaging
The single disc comes in a standard Blu-ray keepcase.
The Final Analysis
Run Lola Run is a thrilling, wild ride. The idea of seeing the same story told three different ways may take some getting used to, but it really works. There is not a whole lot of time for character development. We have no idea what makes Manni tick, or why he has turned to a life of crime. We are not told why Lola, the daughter of a banker, is involved with this guy. But this is not a film about motivation, other than the instinct of self-preservation. It is about how little things – e.g., the decision to stop and pick up a pack of cigarettes – can have a devastating effect on a person’s life. How much control do we actually have over out lives?
Equipment used for this review:
Panasonic DMP-BD10A DVD Player
Sharp LC-42D62U LCD display
Yamaha HTR-5890 THX Surround Receiver
BIC Acoustech speakers
Interconnects: Monster Cable
Release Date: February 19, 2008
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