Kodachrome offers a wide variety of shots that teach photography and filmmaking to people willing to learn. It perfectly sets up artistic shots dictating how one can tell a story with just their camera. The plot might seem predictable at first but the dialogue and the consistency of the main characters more than make up for any flaws. However, this Kodachrome movie review will convince you that it is a must-watch for artists.
Rarely an artist gets to experience a movie that deeply resonates with them. Even though there have been tons of films worth watching that brought something out of us, there haven’t been many that directly put us into action.
However, Kodachrome is different. It is not your usual road trip with a few clashing egos, and it is not a father just trying to atone for his actions. The Kodachrome movie is a deep dive into the mind of a selfish father, a mentally battered son, and a personal assistant/nurse who lives in her present desperately trying to not think about the past.
However, if you are not here for the emotional turmoil of the film and the artistic view, there are tons of things you will find moving about the film. From its banger music selection to shots that beautifully describe the situation and offer a deep dive into the psyche of the characters. Aside from that, it has some quotes that will indirectly put artists into creating something, which a few pieces of media can do these days.
Why Every Artist Should Watch the Kodachrome Movie
Kodachrome has moments where you will come out of your burnt out shell and appreciate the beauty of being an art. Ed Harris, who plays Benjamin Asher Ryder, the father who is dying from liver cancer, during a scene talks about how all great work of artists come from suffering. The quote I am about to share resonates a lot with me as an artist.
Happiness is bullshit. It’s the great myth of the late 20th century. You think Picasso was happy? You think Hemingway was? Hendrix? They were miserable shits. No art worth a damn was ever created out of happiness. I can tell you that. Ambition, narcissism, sex, rage. Those are the engines that drive every great artist, every great man. A hole that can’t be filled. That’s why we’re all such miserable assholes.
During the end of the movie, Ben talks about the age of digital and how people are now taking more photos than ever. However, it is just wipeable data which anyone can permanently delete. An artist loves his work to be hands on.
A writer using a typewriter, a painter using a canvas and a filmmaker using a projector. These physical trinkets give artists a way to make their work tangible and alive and not let it be just a piece of data that can be erased with a click. Having physical art is something that artists crave. Putting things on paper is what artists craves.
For photographers, during some of his final moments, Ben talks about how photographers are “preservationists by nature.” Taking pictures is their way of stopping time and committing those moments of happiness to eternity. By doing this, they make a moment tangible, something that can be revisited physically as much as possible.
Kodachrome Movie Review: The Verdict
For most people it might be a father-son roadtrip drama but for artists who deeply delve into and analyze every single frame and piece of dialogue, its much more than that. It is an insight into trauma, grief, the human experience, love, the beauty of photography and how human relationships can change at the drop of a dime.
One should watch the Kodachrome movie atleast once if given the chance. It’s on Netflix for those interested.
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