Distinctively visual texts aim to manipulate the we perceive images critically affecting our interpretation of events and people we meet in our lives. Distinctively visual techniques are utilised in the ‘Run Lola Run’ directed by Tom Tykwer and the picture book ‘Red Tree’ written by Sean Tan. The way the distinctively visual is shown throughout these texts is through the use of motifs, different angle shots, colours, lighting and reading paths. These techniques aim to show the important themes in both texts such as time, hope and love.
In ‘Run Lola Run’ time is shown to be an important theme right from the beginning. We can see this in the first few seconds of the film when there is a low angle shot looking up at a pendulum swinging then the camera pans up to show us a gargoyles head for a clock. The gargoyle opens its mouth and begins to consume everything including us. This demonstrates early on through the use of cinematography that time is all consuming and uncontrollable which is linked directly to the predicament that Lola is in where she only as twenty minutes to save her boyfriend Manny and no matter what she does she can’t change the time she has. This key event is the whole meaning for the film ‘Run Lola Run’.
This is in contrast to Sean Tan’s book ‘Red Tree’ which depicts how with time people can heal and situations can change. In picture 3 we see the little girl in the shadow of a giant fish looming over her. Tan has used dull colours to show the dullness of her situation. She looks small and insignificant. The fish can be a metaphor for how she is feeling with its downturned face and mouth, also it looks as if it has tears running from its eyes. However in the picture there is a single red leaf in the gutter which is a reoccurring motif in every picture which symbolises hope.
In picture 14 Tan uses vector lines and...
READ FULL DOCUMENT