Biegnij, Lola, biegnij (1998)

After a botched money delivery, Lola has 20 minutes to come up with 100,000 Deutschmarks.

Director:

Tom Tykwer

Writer:

Tom Tykwer (screenplay)

Stars:

Franka Potente, Moritz Bleibtreu, Herbert Knaup

Nominated for 1 BAFTA Film Award. Another 28 wins & 19 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Franka Potente	...	Lola
Moritz Bleibtreu	...	Manni
Herbert Knaup	...	Vater
Nina Petri	...	Jutta Hansen
Armin Rohde	...	Herr Schuster
Joachim Król	...	Norbert von Au
Ludger Pistor	...	Herr Meier
Suzanne von Borsody	...	Frau Jäger
Sebastian Schipper	...	Mike
Julia Lindig	...	Doris
Lars Rudolph	...	Herr Kruse
Heino Ferch	...	Ronnie

Storyline

Lola receives a phone call from her boyfriend Manni. He lost 100,000 DM in a subway train that belongs to a very bad guy. Lola has 20 min to raise this amount and meet Manni. Otherwise, he will rob a store to get the money. Three different alternatives may happen depending on some minor event along Lola's run.

---

Plot Keywords:

running | race against the clock | repeated event | female protagonist | episodic structure | 

---

Taglines:

The Pressure is Rising, The Adrenaline is Rushing, The Clock is Ticking

---

Genres:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some violence and language

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

Germany

Language:

German English Japanese

Release Date:

16 July 1999 (Poland)

Also Known As:

Biegnij, Lola, biegnij

Filming Locations:

Mitte, Berlin, Germany

Box Office

Budget:

DEM 3,500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$92,488 (USA) (18 June 1999)

Gross:

$7,267,324 (USA) (21 January 2000)

Company Credits

Production Co:

X-Filme Creative Pool, Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR), Arte

Technical Specs

Runtime:

81 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Black and White Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This film contains about 1581 transitions (edits, dissolves, fades, wipes, etc) in 71 minutes of action (i.e. excluding the credits, and pre-credits sequence). This equates to an Average Shot Length of about 2.7 seconds. Interestingly, the editing is relatively slower towards the end of the film. For most contemporary films, the opposite is the norm.

---

Goofs

Lola's bra strap when she enters her father's office in Part II.

---

Quotes

[first lines]
[subtitled version]
Narrator: Man... probably the most mysterious species on our planet. A mystery of unanswered questions. Who are we? Where do we come from? Where are we going? How do we know what we think we know? Why do we believe anything at all? Countless questions in search of an answer... an answer that will give rise to a new question... and the next answer will give rise to the next question and so on. But, in the end, isn't it always the same question? And always the same answer?

---

Crazy Credits

The end credits run backwards, from top to bottom.

---

Connections

Spoofed in Die Harald Schmidt Show: Show #474 - Dolly rennt & Speedys Karotte gehört Harald (1998)

---

Soundtracks

The Unanswered Question
Performed by The Orchestra of St. Luke's
Conducted by John Adams
Music by Charles Ives

User Reviews

Riveting action, dynamic sound track, and brilliant editing had me hooked from the first frame.

The concepts are simple. How do our actions affect our own lives, as well as those whom we touch? What part do chance and random events play in determining an outcome? Can we select a different result by making different choices? In short, what is reality? Well, maybe it isn't all that simple, but while others have plowed these same fertile fields, as recently as the film "Go", and also in "The Music of Chance", based on Paul Auster's novel, no one has dealt with such cosmic existential questions with more brilliant originality, fast paced action, and a pulsing score than in this German cinematic masterpiece.

In a compact ninety minutes, combining snips of animation, cinema verité, quirky characters, situations and dialogue, and a pace that makes most music videos look like they've been filmed in slow motion, three versions of the same story sequence unfold, and each time conclude with a jolting finish that defies convention, and keeps the viewer guessing until the final frame.

This is one of those rare cinematic events that is entertaining, satisfying, and absorbing, as well as flawlessly acted, staged, edited, produced and directed. I thought that Lola ran her race with flair and style, and left all others way behind in the dust.