film review: run lol run

Watch The Run Lola run, the movie, then address three of the following questions. You may also take the conversation in new directions. Be sure to apply concepts studied in this week's reading and respond to at least one other student's original post. Must: Addresses prompts in depth and detail. Points are insightful, objective, and supported by specific, relevant examples from the movie. The post clearly demonstrates careful viewing of the assigned movie. Correctly applies multiple concepts studied, clearly demonstrating careful reading of the assigned chapter(s). The post uses vocabulary and ideas from the reading, and it references specific pages (with in-text citation: the page number in parentheses). The reference does not repeat what another student has already posted. Any borrowed language is in quotation marks, though the post does not over-rely on quotations.

RULES WHEN WRITING ABOUT A MOVIE: • The title of a movie should be in italics: Juno -- not

"Juno." • Discuss events in the film itself in present tense, as if

they are still going on. ◦ correct: "Dorothy clicks her heels together" ◦ incorrect: "Dorothy clicked her heels together."

• Refer to characters by their names in the movie, e.g. "William Munny" rather than "Clint Eastwood" – unless you are discussing Eastwood’s acting.

• When writing about actors, refer to them by their last name, e.g. "Norris" rather than "Chuck."

• Provide specific examples from the movies to support your ideas. For example, if you claim that “Benjamin Braddock seems disconnected from members of his generation,” add the reasons you have drawn this conclusion: “Nobody his own age attends his graduation party; all the guests seem to be his parents’ friends. The film never shows him in contact with friends of his own. When Benjamin and Elaine go the hamburger stand, he appears annoyed by the music and behavior of the younger people in the next car, and he raises the roof of his convertible to escape them.”

• The terms "film" and "movie" are interchangeable. • Do not address the reader as “you.” For example, if

someone writes, “You see how Juno changes her mind” – well, maybe the reader didn’t see it! Rephrasing suggestions: ◦ “The film shows us Juno’s attitude when . . .” ◦ “Viewers may observe that . . ." ◦ “We might notice . . .” ◦ “Juno acts differently, starting when she . . .” or,

• Don’t start sentences with or over-used phrases like “I think” or “I feel” or “I believe” or "to me” or “ in my opinion.” Readers assume that your answers represent your thoughts, feelings, and inferences. Write in third person as much as possible.

• Do not refer to film-makers as "they," as in, "They use a lot of dark lighting" or "They want you to feel the protagonist's misery." People have specific jobs in

making a movie, e.g. director, screenwriter, cinematographer, or editor. To refer to the combined efforts of everyone involved, refer to the film as a whole, e.g. "The movie has a lot of dark lighting," or, "The film helps us experience the protagonist's misery through the dark lighting and by showing us events through her point of view."

QUESTIONS

1. Choose any scene with at least 5 distinct shots, and time the duration of each shot. ◦ What is the content of each shot, and how long does

each shot last? ◦ What effect do the shot lengths have on the rhythm of

the scene? 2. How are the red scenes where Lola and Manni are in bed

used in terms of editing structure? How do they enhance the depth of the film?

3. The sound track is one of the most striking aspects of this movie. How does the sound track, particularly music, enhance the rhythm and pace in the film? You need to provide specific examples.

4. Throughout the film, the director uses snapshots to presents different aspects in a character's life and/or thoughts. Please choose a scene where this technique is used. Explain the purpose and meaning of the snapshots.

5. The director uses a split screen in some scenes. Please explain the purpose of this technique in the film.

6. The action in the film is very fast paced. How is this achieved? At the same time, the audience easily follows a time-space continuum without any problem even though the film presents much information at many different levels. Please choose a scene and explain how the director achieves this difficult task.

Film Vocabulary

Art director Production designer Framing Closed frame Open frame Moving frame On location Set Sound stage Cinematic language Shot Editing Cut Fade in/fade out Cutting on action Implicit meaning

Explicit meaning Cultural Invisibility Form Theme Motif Point of view Content Form Formalism Cinematic language Mediation Verisimilitude Realism Anti-realism Mise-en-scene Narrative Frame Shot Sequence Scene Instructional film Persuasive film Propaganda film Direct cinema Stream of consciousness Genre Stanislavsky system method acting typecasting casting

screen test major role character role distancing effect or alienation effect improvisation

• Cinematography • Take • Set up • Film stock • Colorization • Widescreen • Lighting ratio • Rule of thirds • Three-point system

◦ Key light ◦ Low-key lighting ◦ High-key lighting ◦ Fill light ◦ Back light

• Iris • Focal length • Zoom lens • Deep focus cinematography • Dept of field • Aspect ratio • Rack focus • Types of shots

◦ Establishing shot ◦ Extreme long shot ◦ Long shot

◦ Medium long shot ◦ Medium close-up ◦ Close-up ◦ Extreme close-up ◦ Two shot ◦ Three shot

• Types of editing
 o Point of view editing
 o Parallel editing
 o Continuity editing
 o Discontinuity editing
 o Split screen

• Types of transitions 
 o Cut
 o Dissolve
 o Eye-line match
 o Fade in/fade out
 o Graphic match 
 o Iris
 o Jump 
 o Match on action
 o Shot-reverse shot
 o Split screen
 o Wipe

• Common editing terms 
 o Duration
 o Ellipsis
 o Flashback
 o Flashforward
 o Master shot


o Montage
 o Screen direction
 o 180-degree rule