Parallel Time Lines In Peter Howitt's Film Sliding Doors

All three films show alternate and parallel time lines. They express what if scenarios for the viewer. These films show how life can change depending on choices we make or time itself.

In Peter Howitt’s film Sliding Doors, Helen’s (Gwyneth Paltrow) life progresses after she misses/makes her train. Throughout the movie, there are sliding doors, which appear as a motif. It also shows that a significant event is about to occur or has taken place in Helen’s life. Howitt manipulates mise-en-scene by comparing Helen and James (John Hannah) with Gerry (John Lynch) and Lydia (Jeanne Tripplehorn). At the beginning of the film, Helen goes backward in time the after she misses the train first caused by the little girl in the stairway. It seems like they re-winded the film then paused and it continues the same way. The only difference is that the girl does not get in the way the second time and Helen gets on the train. Non-diegetic music helps convey the mystery and fantasy to the story.

In one of the parallel lives after getting fired from her job, Helen makes ends meet by working many part-time

jobs in one life, and she starts her PR Company in the other. This movie shows the audience a scenario of how her life would be different if she took the train. In the life where Helen takes the train, she cuts and dyes her, which helps differentiate both Helens. In both lives, she ends up pregnant and sent to the hospital after suffering an accident. The screen splits into two to show when each doctor tells James and Gerry that the baby died. However, only one Gerry’s Helen survives when James stays by the side of a dying Helen. The movie ends in an elevator where Helen meets James. Just like a scene from the start of the film where she drops her earring in the elevator. Only that this time Helen answers his movie reference differently and stare at each other. It leaves the audience wanting to know if she stays with James.

Director Woody Allen shows the audience that movies are just movies and that they are made up out of thin air. The characters are not real, and their fate could turn out however the director wants it. It shows the comedy and tragedy of relationships. Woody Allen’s film Melinda and Melinda starts off with a group of friends at a restaurant discussing a puzzle. They discuss whether the essence of life is comedy or tragedy. Max (Larry Pine) begins telling the story which the others then elaborate to demonstrate their takes on life. Woody Allen reminds us from time to time that all characters are being imagined by the people at the restaurant at the beginning of the movie.

The story of Melinda and Melinda involves two couples. Susan (Amanda Peet) and Hobie (Will Farrell), Laurel (Chloe Sevigny) and Lee (Jonny Lee Miller) both disrupted unexpectedly by Melinda (Radha Mitchell). Melinda is the element for adultery in both stories. However, it does not play out the same way. All characters in both stories are different except Melinda.

Melinda A is tragedy while Melinda B is a comedy.

The film is in chronological order, showing step by step the events that occurred and what it leads up to in the end. It is a closed narrative as the viewers know what is going to happen as it is all the same situations occurring, but with slightly different outcomes and uses restricted description. Melinda A going through a divorce, substance abuse, and fighting for custody. Melinda B has a wealthy and healthy life background. The audience can tell the difference between both since their body language and clothing are entirely different. We have close ups of Melinda when she first enters the home and crashes the dinner party which highlights that she is a significant character in the film. We have diegetic sound when the music is playing in the cafe and then non-diegetic sounds throughout with talking and

shouting.

Compare to the other two films, Tom Tykwer’s film Run Lola Run is a German film credits start with a grandfather clock pendulum and ticking sound. Which later on the view will understand the meaning behind why Tykwer decided to initiate the movie that way. He shows the viewer blurry shots of running through a crowd of people. Then he illustrates the rest of the opening credits as a cartoon/video game of Lola running through time and space. The audience is immediately thrown into chaos as they listen to an anxious conversation between Lola (Franka Potente) and Manni (Moritz Bleibtreu). She has 20 minutes to find $100,000, or his boss will kill Manni. In the search for the money three different parallel timelines occur. Lola is late by a matter of seconds in the 1st scenario where she ends up dead. The 2nd one Manni is run over by the red ambulance, and the 3rd Lola wins $100,000, and Manni recovers the money from the homeless man. The movie pauses in the moments where it is crucial for the audience to notice.

Unlike most outlaw movies that have a linear story line this movie is literally about running. As the tagline of this movie states, “Every second of every day you are faced with a decision that can change your life." Tykwer shows on the importance of time and the fundamental part of the events that take in our lives. The ticking clock reminds the audience that Lola is running out of time.

Tykwer includes color to show the association of both main characters. Lola’s is primarily linked to the color red; the red phone, hair, candles and poster. Manni’s color is yellow, the phone booth and his blond highlights. Tykwer uses techno music just like a video game for effect. He uses visual and verbal emotions as well.

This film plays out choices just like the other two, where one choice can affect the outcome of another. Time in each of Lola’s run gives the audience a more realistic feeling. The lighting in this film seems realistic, and the character of Lola is messy, lacks makeup, and the locations are realistic to the viewer.