Kodachrome the Movie 6 and final

Welcome to my blog. This daily writing that I carry out to express ideas,
relieve some stress, and have some fun. It is fun because I am getting more
comfortable with the written word. It also stimulates my creativity.

I want to share with all my creative process.  

The last time I wrote about the movie “Kodachrome” Ben had quietly passed.
The creators of the movie went to great lengths to provide their praise to a
dying photo era and generation. Ben is a metaphor for that period and
photography that has passed. This idea culminates as the film winds down. Their
tribute evolves as we find Matt in the lobby of their motel. He is solemn as
the paramedics roll his father’s covered body through the lobby. As the body
passes, a row on each side of it of photographers has spontaneously
materialized. And as Ben passes each they point their respective cameras to the
to the sky and pop the flashes. It is a Memoria reminiscent of a hero’s salute
through an arch of swords. A moving deep reverence to this passing of an era.
As I said, this movie, “Kodachrome” was spiritual.

As if they passed a book of the creator to the family at the funeral, Duane
hands the developed Kodachrome to Matt. They reside two long boxes with the
Kodachrome branding logo on them. We have yet to know what was on those slides.

The movie transports us to Matt, arriving at Ben’s home and studying all
that is there. There is a view of Ben’s rooms. Noting his drums that we saw at
the very beginning that Ben was whaling on, sat sadly quiet.

Matt, in his admiration of Ben’s body of work, now has a responsibility. We
can see his role now is to preserve the legacy of his father’s creations.

He walks through the rooms and enters a studio. There a on the table is a
slide projector. We realize that he has not looked at the Kodachrome slides. He
opens the box and takes the time to line them up in the carousel. He clicks and
starts reviewing them.

As they project on the screen, we begin to realize why Ben was so fixed on
processing these rolls. Matt sees that these are about him as a child. There
are photographs with his dad and with his mother. Ben playing with the child,
Matt. You can see they are special. Those with his mother as she is playing and
holding him. His mother as she poses for her photographer, husband, his dad.
Ben and Matt in those blissful flash’s that families cherish. The delight
parents and child have with the hopes and dreams of a life that will grow.
Happy moments. Matt, now, as you can tell, softens, and now he seems to
appreciate his dad and his family more. He sees that they loved him. We now see
Ben through a different lens of human emotions. We become aware of his
vulnerability. His mean exterior was nothing but a facade. His defense of
emotional pain. His important legacy to his son was those long years of not
processing those rolls of “Kodachrome.”

Matt is alone, pressing and clicking the projector button. The slides are
passing on the screen, and Zooey arrives. Having heard of Ben’s passing, she
comes to express her condolences. The movie closes with them connecting once
again. A Hollywood successful conclusion. All is well.

The movie for me has been a spiritual journey. Kodachrome was a legacy film
that has passed over the horizon like Ben and his cohorts. From the legacy
Leica camera, to the flash salute to Ben. The Director, writer, and
cinematographer touched all the burning themes that are the soul of a
photographer.