The film " Run Lola Run " starts with the "X file cinema " logo, after this the film goes to a black screen with a pendulum swinging across it, time will be a key motif in the film. The credits role behind the pendulum and music starts playing; at first the music is orchestral. .
In the credits we see photos of all the characters in the film with the actors names next to them. This is used as a device to familiarise and introduce the key players to the audience and fix their images in our mind. We are shown a quote from T.S Elliot that gives away little information of what is to come.
The beginning if this film gives the viewer a lot of information, we have been introduced to the characters, and the soundtrack is modern and electronic with a driving breakbeat. It gives the audience an idea of the style and tone. The music adds pace to the film and is a driving force as we see Lola running through the streets of a German city.
The camera spirals down and we are then led through a blurry crowd. We are shown the main characters. We then hear an omniscient narrator questioning life and the ideals of destiny and fate. This again highlights the key motifs and sets up expectations for issues that may be tackled later on.
The camera leads to a security guard who features later on in the film. The security guard opens the film by talking about a football game. He then kicks the ball into the air as if signalling the start of a game and then shouts " here we go". The opening gives no information of plot or setting.
The way the guard speaks makes it seem as if we are being taken on a journey. The camera follows the ball into the air and the people just seem like small flecks on the white background, they move to form the film's title. It is clear that this is not a scene from real time. The beginning of the film does not set up a sense of normality and differs greatly from the traditional Hollywood texts.