Question: Explain how media producers communicate a preferred reading to the audience and why alternative readings might be made.
Response: Media producers create texts with an audience in mind, and while they try to remain entertaining and original in most of their films they also need to ensure that the audience is able to understand and engage with the text, and thus with the preferred meaning, by using conventions and generally accepted techniques. Tom Tykwer’s independent, and unmistakably avant-garde film, Run Lola Run in many ways, defies Hollywood cinematic convention, but must also conform with audience expectations in order to convey its intended themes. Tykver conveys a preferred reading to his target audience that
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It is for this reason that the producer of a text targets a specific audience demographic and tailors the text in order to position this specific audience to accept the preferred meaning. For this reason, audiences from other contexts may read the text in a wildly different manner. For example, in Run Lola Run, viewers from a feminist subculture might look beyond the codes that Tykwer has used to position them to see Lola as a representative of feminine power, and feel that she is a poor role model for contemporary females. This alternative reading could be formed because of Lola’s subservience to Manni, and her unquestioning loyalty to him from the very beginning of the movie, despite little effort on his part to save himself. Furthermore, in all three of the film’s realities, Lola’s first source that she seeks for help is a patriarchal figure, her father, in this way demonstrating her overall helplessness despite her appearance of having power. In this way, audience members may form an extreme feminist reading of the text, and thus resist the reading that Tykwer is positioning them to accept. Another alternative reading that may be formed of the text, is that it is offering a misandristic portrayal of the male characters within the film. The audience is positioned to see Manni, Lola’s father and the security guard from the bank, the three males with the
A composer can create images dependant on the form of the language of texts to shape a responders understanding of the ideas and themes prompted by people and their experiences. The German film, ‘Run Lola Run’ written and directed by Tom Tykwer, focuses on the experiences of the protagonist Lola to explore the themes of the inevitable force of time, and the issue of freewill verses determinism. Similarly, Dorothea Mackellar, in her poem ‘My Country’, relies on her experiences of the Australian landscape to convey her love and passion for the country using the language of the distinctive visual.
Nonetheless, the disclosure that surrounds the rape of the woman does not break away from the customary views on violence especially towards women. In the entire movie, women are depicted and viewed as extremely traditional and passive. They are supposed to follow whatever is required from them. Gender through the movie exists in the similar way through which race exists. The society in the movie is largely patriarchy, and gender is unconsciously used for the purpose of justifying oppression and patriarchal
As the film ‘Run Lola Run’ has a multiform narrative structure, it is separated into three sections in which Lola is able to repeat her journey from the beginning. The repetition of the run in which we see the same scene three times is an example of how Lola's journey is similar to the likes of a video game. This works to emphasise the fact that her life can just be rewinded and restarted just like video games. Even though, in real life we cannot travel back it time, the repetition of the run sequence shows mistakes are fixed by going back to the root of the problem. Throughout the movie, the background music is similar to the music that is heard in fast-paced, action based video games, the music is fast paced and creates suspense, which
In hat way does the distinctively visual influence your understanding of people and the events within texts?
One of the most significant battles in antiquity was fought on the narrow, tree strewn plain of Marathon, in September, 490 BC. There, the Athenian army defeated a Persian force more than twice its size, because of superior leadership, training and equipment. The battle of Marathon has provided inspiration to the underdogs throughout history. In 490 BC, the Athenians proved that superior strategy, and technology can claim victory over massive numbers.
Textual form is an issue which divide many critiques and audiences. Some view texts as a form being superior and more expressive, whereas others may view film as to be losing its credibility of expression. Never the less it is adamant that through a comparative study of two differing forms exploring similar ideas it becomes clear that one form isn’t always superior over another. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1818) and Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner (1982) mirror this thesis. Whilst being
In the film ‘Run Lola Run’ the composer, Tom Tykwer, uses the story line to emphasize how decisions made by an individual can have a drastic impact on the lives and futures of those around them. Tykwer utilised distinctively visual techniques of photographic montage and repeated yet slightly altered scenarios in order to show the importance of Lola’s decisions throughout each run of the film scenario. The use of the repeated scenario, along with the rapidly shown still photographic representations of the future in regards to people effected by the character Lola’s decisions the composer is able to put emphasis on the chain reaction of effects based on Lola’s actions. For example, in every run of the scenario, Lola encounters a woman with her
Although the best reasons for “going to the movies” are to be entertained and eat popcorn, understanding a film is actually quite complex. Movies are not only a reflection of life, they also have the capability of shaping our norms, values, attitudes, and perception of life. Through the media of film, one can find stories of practically anything imaginable and some things unimaginable. Movie-makers use their art to entertain, to promote political agendas, to educate, and to present life as it is, was, or could be. They can present truth, truth as they interpret it, or simply ignore truth altogether. A movie can be a work of fiction, non-fiction, or anything in-between. A film is an artist’s interpretation. What one takes away from a film depends upon how one interprets what has been seen and heard. Understanding film is indeed difficult.
Whenever books are adapted for film, changes inevitably have to be made. The medium of film offers several advantages and disadvantages over the book: it is not as adept at exploring the inner workings of people - it cannot explore their minds so easily; however, the added visual and audio capabilities of film open whole new areas of the imagination which, in the hands of a competent writer-director, can more than compensate.
“Hey, what are you doing.” Chloe said as she walked over to Kara on the track behind the school after school was over.
Reader bias comes from writers that use ethos, pathos, and logos. In the article “Media Bias Comes From Viewers Like You” written by Tyler Cowen, he talks about how the media is bias because of what the viewers want. He says that the media shows the viewers things to keep them entertained or or titillated. Throughout his article Cowen uses pathos and ethos to make his argument about the relationship between viewers and the media, more convincing
In the film, “Run Lola Run,” produced by Tom Tykwer in 1999, Lola gets a phone call from her boyfriend, Manni. She supposed to pick up Manni who delivers a bag containing 100,000 marks to his boss. However, unfortunately, Someone stole her motorcycle at a store. Hence, Manni decides to take a subway instead. However, he accidentally leaves his bag on the subway. Since his boss will kill Manni if he fails to deliver, Manni tries to rob a store. Lola tries to find a way to save Manni. Consequently, the film shows different endings which are made by Lola’s decision. The kinetic camera movement and the technique switching to animation creates dramatic tensions.
Film and literature are two media forms that are so closely related, that we often forget there is a distinction between them. We often just view the movie as an extension of the book because most movies are based on novels or short stories. Because we are accustomed to this sequence of production, first the novel, then the motion picture, we often find ourselves making value judgments about a movie, based upon our feelings on the novel. It is this overlapping of the creative processes that prevents us from seeing movies as distinct and separate art forms from the novels they are based on.
Tom Tykwer’s Run Lola Run (1998) is truly a brilliant film. It is very seldom that a film manages to combine the high pace of an action thriller and a deep philosophical subtext without botching it, but Run Lola Run does an excellent job at striking a balance between both. Tackling the very abstract and philosophical concepts of chance and cause-effect, Run Lola Run is truly a modern foreign classic. Tykwer manages to postulate one simple theory through the film, that the simplest of choices can completely change everything. The film is supported by stellar performances from Franka Potente and Moritz Bleibtreu as the protagonist Lola and her boyfriend, Manni. The film’s use of cinematography to add to the narrative, clever use of the aspects of mise-en-scene and explosively-paced soundtrack add a whole new dimension to this film. One of the few German films to be both a critical and commercial success, Run Lola Run is a smart and stimulating film, which demands active watching in order to understand fully. I will now analyze the film comprehensively using three main parameters; the mise-en-scene, the cinematography and the sound.
In service of this argument, the essay unfolds in three parts. The first section sketches an appropriate framework for understanding how cinema marshals and moves viewers by engaging them in a fully embodied experience.4 The second section offers a brief overview of the film's plot before turning to an analysis of its triptych narrative and affective development. The third and final section considers the methodological, critical, and theoretical implications suggested by the preceding analysis.