Excellence in German Film

Who ever said Germans couldn't make movies? Granted, German films are not all that common, the film, Run Lola Run (1998), directed by Tom Tykwer, is an excellent film that gives Germans a name for themselves in film. Tykwer has directed a number of films since this one, his most recent being the movie currently in theaters, Perfume: The Story of a Murderer, as well as Ich Dich Auch, also in 2006.

Lola Rennt, or Run Lola Run, is a film simply about a girl's (Lola) attempts to obtain $100,000 in twenty minutes to save her boyfriend (Manni) from death by a mobster boss if the money is not obtained in that time. The process of trying to obtain the money is repeated three times, each time showing how the different actions on Lola's part play out both in the future lives, and the immediate circumstances, of those she encounters.

Professor Stewart showed this film today in the Basic Philosophical Questions (BPQ) course for which I am currently teaching assisting. Needless to say it generated some good discussion, especially about the spiritual significance and symbolism of the "third attempt" and the comparison of the three attempts to discover the (many times very subtle) interconnections. Check it out!