Run Lola Run Comparative Essay

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Realism and fantasy are two critical themes presented in the films Run, Lola, Run, directed by Tom Tykwer, and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, directed by Michael Gondry. Run, Lola, Run is a German experimental thriller, released in 1999, that explores the themes of choice and how certain decisions can dramatically affect one’s life, specifically, through the main character, Lola. By comparison, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, released in 2004, is a sci-fi romance that follows Joel in both his unconscious and waking life. Choice also plays a major part in Joel’s journey, but the themes of regret and acceptance are more apparent. Symbolically, the themes presented in both films provide perspective on how these characters cope with their misfortune. The …show more content…

At one point in the montage, Joel returns to his childhood as a four-year-old hiding under the kitchen table. Clementine follows him, disguised as his babysitter, Mrs. Hamlyn (Gondry 1:00:56). Through the setting and context of his past, Joel uses the recollection as a way to protect the memories of him and Clementine being targeted by the scientists. Run, Lola, Run provides an alternate perspective on Lola’s success in achieving her goal. She successfully disrupts the cyclical process occurring in her own world by delaying her father’s business associate during his commute to his job. This causes the previously mentioned affair between Lola’s father and the woman to be put on hold, allowing Lola to avoid her father entirely. Therefore, she seeks other means of making the money to share with Manni. This is a favorable outcome for Lola because the affair never happens, thus Lola and her father stay on good terms, she is awarded her well-earned money, and, as mentioned earlier, continues a normal existence with her boyfriend. Finally, the historical development behind both films is particularly

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