Skip to main content

Color in Life Lessons


Color in Life Lessons
By: Will Singer

 Many people have lofty dreams of what their dream jobs are when they’re kids. These kids dream of being rockstars, astronauts, artists, actors, basketball players and musicians, but very few are able to become their desired profession. At a certain age, these dreams may be replaced with more “realistic” goals. However, there are some who work hard to see their dreams fulfilled, and these are the people who dedicate themselves to their work.
Lionel Dobie, the main character in Martin Scorsese’s short film Life Lessons, is a hard working, successful and respected artist. Despite all of his talent and success, Dobie needs a muse to creatively fuel him and a woman named Paulette fills that role in the film. Paulette is an aspiring artist who constantly questions her abilities as a painter as opposed to Dobie who struggles to create art. He’s in love with her, but she doesn’t love him and threatens to leave due to her lack of talent. Through specific uses of color, Scorsese is able to show who belongs in the art world and who doesn’t.
The movie opens with shots of paints and paint brushes. After a few shots, the audience is introduced to Lionel Dobie, pacing back and forth, smoking a cigarette. His shirt is covered in paint, he bends down to grab a cup of wine that is covered in paint. As the scene goes on, we begin to realize that the whole apartment is covered in paint. He has a gold Rolex around his wrist that has paint on it. Dobie even steps on a tube of paint and squirts some at a pillar, further covering his apartment. From this, the audience easily understands that Dobie is a painter from the get-go. Shortly thereafter, Dobie leaves to pick Paulette up from the airport and convinces her to stay with him. A bit later, we get to see Paulette’s studio: a fairly clean space. The walls are white brick and the furniture is very clean. What little paint appears around the room seems to have a purpose for being there, neat and organized, no splatters of multiple colors like in Dobie’s studio. It serves to show us that, while it’s Paulette’s studio, Dobie technically owns the entire space, just as he reminds her in the film. Paulette, who constantly questions her abilities as an artist, doesn’t have paint splatters on any of her possessions because art isn’t her life. Dobie, on the contrary, is obsessed with painting. He’s never seen going out alone and when he does it’s with Paulette or to stalk her. Paulette has friends, is seen going out with them and has traveled. She has not dedicated her life to painting like Dobie has. Through this, Scorsese is able to explain that Paulette isn’t successful because she isn’t obsessed whereas Dobie is successful because he is.



Paint all over Dobie, his apartment and his possessions
Paulette's clean and furnished studio
About halfway through the film, Dobie and Paulette attend a birthday party together for artists and art collectors. Dobie wears a black and white tuxedo and Paulette wears a black dress with pink birds on it. One of the most striking aspects of the scene is all of party guest’s clothes are black and white. The men wear tuxedos and suits that are black with white dress shirts and the women wear dresses that are black. The standout? Paulette, as she has a hint of color in her dress. Due to this, Paulette stands out. She does not belong in the world of artists and art lovers, she is an outcast because art isn’t her life. This is further supported when Dobie buys Paulette an all black dress to wear to another event that night. Dobie wants Paulette to believe in herself as an artist and to stay with him, so she must wear an artist’s colors. However, Paulette declines the invitation and is never seen wearing the dress. Through wardrobe, Scorsese once again argues that Paulette doesn’t belong in the art world through her refusal to wear an artist’s colors while among artists and art lovers whereas Dobie is because he does.
Paulette with a red hue on her dress


Dobie and the party guests wearing all black and white

The black dress Dobie gifts to Paulette
At the end of the film, Paulette leaves Dobie and possibly gives up on her dream of being a painter. Dobie is tasked with finding a new assistant and offers the job to a young woman he meets at his gallery. The audience never learns her name or if she accepts the job offer, but based upon her reaction (surprised in a good way), they can assume she does. The new assistant wears an all black dress and fits into the world of artists. Through this, Scorsese suggests that Dobie has found who he deserves, but whether that’s another Paulette or someone who will love him back is left unanswered.
Dobie and his new assistant

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Limited and Flat Space in Rear Window

Limited and Flat Space in Rear Window By: Cassie Galonsky The film Rear Window , directed by Alfred Hitchcock, uses different types of space to convey the story that he is telling.  The film is shot with space in mind to create different feelings for the audience. Limited space and flat space are both used at different points, in order to portray different things.  The majority of the film is told through the eyes of L.B. Jeffries, or Jeff, a freelance photographer who has been confined to his apartment as his broken leg heals. Alfred Hitchcock uses the opportunity to demonstrate to the audience his confinement with the different types of space.   During the course of the story, Jeff observes the actions of his neighbors through his open window.  One day, he sees a series of events that leads him to believe that one of his neighbors, Thorwald, has murdered his wife after her unexplained disappearance.  He enlists in the help of his gir...
Post a Comment
Read more

Citizen Kane Deep Space Analysis

The rise to plenty of fame and power from a foundation of no fame and power is what Citizen Kane, one of the most critically acclaimed films of all time, is all about. This film contains elements of space that serve not only for practical purposes but also to mimic the overall theme of the film. The film follows a reporter who struggles to tell the story behind the mysterious Charles Kane’s dying word, “Rosebud” and his journey into the world of Mr. Kane that never results in him finding the meaning of the dying word. Deep space and focus use helps to create the overall style and meaning of the film. The two most noteworthy reasons for deep space are to give us more information about the characters, and to allow the viewer to find things without being shown them directly. For example, in the scene where Kane’s mother is signing him off to Mr. Thatcher, a wealthy banker who promises him a better life, the primary shot contains three distinct viewpoints. This is one of the most iconi...
Post a Comment
Read more

Life Lessons: How Cinematography Exposes Abuse

In short, Life Lessons is  about a man who is a slave to his art. Lionel Dobie (played by Nick Nolte) is a world renowned painter, but is only able to perform at his best when he is in the company of a muse. Unfortunately, each woman he takes in is objectified and used, and once his work is completed they are cast aside.  The film specializes in exposing Dobie’s emotionally vampyric nature with its cinematography and writing. The first unique element that shows the darker side of Lionel’s creative process is the writing, and structure of the story.  In the opening scene, we can see that Lionel is stuck in a hole devoid of creativity. There is an art exposition in three weeks, and Dobie has no paintings or inspiration.  Fortunately for him, his former muse and lover, Paulette (played by Rosanna Arquette), is passing through town, and he manages to convince her to stay with him. She accepts his offer under one condition - she doesn’t have to sleep with him. Aft...
Post a Comment
Read more