Primary Colors Are Not Real

Life Lessons: In Depth

by Leni

Dobie see's Paulette for the first time since she's arrived to New York from Florida

“It’s art. If you give it up, you were never an artist in the first place.” This is said by Lionel Dobie, a fictional character dreamt up in Martin Scorsese’s film, Life Lessons. Scorsese’s film is about an artist, Lionel Dobie, struggling to create a painting without his muse, Paulette, within the short time frame he has until his show opens in three weeks. The iris effect is used in the film, Life Lessons, to demonstrate a wider understanding of the film’s content.

Dobie talks with a new girl he's met

The iris effect, in which a black circle closes to end a scene, is used to depict not only a transition, but a metaphor for the film. The type of iris effects used are constant throughout the course of the film--iris out. This not only shows our narrow understanding of what’s happening, but it pinpoints what we should be focusing on. For instance, the iris is used in the beginning to pinpoint a glass of liquor, thus illustrating that our protagonists interest is mainly on alcohol at the moment. However, when our main character, Dobie, is at an airport picking his assistant up, the effect is used outwardly to show her, and then expand to see where she is. This represents that she is the center of his world, and it’s grown and developed around her. Also, at the conclusion of the film, the effect is used to pinpoint Dobie and a young lady, and then expand outwards to show an empty room. This impact of this effect demonstrates that his world now grows and develops around this new lady instead of Paulette, his previous assistant. The iris also shows that this is a circle--a continuous cycle--for Dobie. We expand from our limited knowledge of what’s happening with his relationship to learn that this is not a one-time thing. The iris effect wholeheartedly depicts not only the important aspects of Dobie’s life, but his entire viewpoint.

Everyone else disappears as Dobie talks more with the New Girl

Within the movie, the iris film effect is used in depth to create a metaphor for the protagonist’s life and how the viewer understands it. Scorsese utilizes the effect to show the relationship that Dobie has between his physical things, his relationship with Paulette, and his existence in life. Without the use of the iris effect, the film would hold less meaning and would lack depth.

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