Kodachrome

The Royal Court Theatre London asks two vital questions when they analyse plays1 Why must this idea be explored through a play script rather than a book a poem or a film2 What do you the playwright want to say through this play What is the theme you want to explore that must be told at this timeI put this question to myself as I watched Kodachrome on Netflixmdashthis is a film you think yoursquove seen a hundred timesmdashestranged fatherson road trip ending in redemption So Ben Ed Harris is a crochety wrinkled cancer patient a lousy father but legendary photographer who wants to travel to Kansas to develop some film rolls at a lab that is about to close for one final exhibitionMatt Jason Sedekeis the estranged downonhis luck musicproducer son is the unwilling driver Clicheacute follows emotional cliche except you realise that father and son differ technologicallymdashdigital is instant Matt wants immediate results he wants the trip with his father to end before it even begins Hersquod rather use GPS navigation to find the fastest route Film takes longer to develop Ben would prefer to use an actual paper map and take the scenic route to reach the end resultMatt asks Ben a simple questionldquoAre you ever happy Benrdquo Benrsquos answer is profoundldquoHappiness is bullshithellip 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 created out of happiness Ambition narcissim sex ragemdashthose are the engines that drive every great artist every great man A hole that canrsquot be filledrdquo Ben answers Now the film has suddenly changed direction from predictable to profound A parable wrapped up in a potboilerSometime later Matt explodesldquoYoursquod have saved us all a lot of trouble if yoursquod shot digital BenrdquoBen says ldquoDigital is shit You canrsquot beat the real thing People are now taking more pictures than ever before billions of them But there are no slides no prints theyrsquore just data electronic dust Years from now when they dig us up there wonrsquot be any pictures to find No record of who we were how we livedrdquoMatt says pointedly ldquoWhatrsquos the point of having an artefact if yoursquove never seen it with your eyesrdquoBen asks his son ldquoYou still talking about filmrdquoldquoYou just never saw me dadrdquo Matt saysldquoI see for a living Matt itrsquos what I dordquoThis is no ordinary fatherson road movie This is one that explores the crossroads between analog and digitalAt the fag end of the film Ben surrounded by a bunch of young photogaphers says ldquoWersquore all so frightened by timehellipthe way it moves on the way things disappear thatrsquos why wersquore photographers Wersquore preservationists by nature We take pictures to stop time to commit moments to eternity Human nature made tangible About as good a definition of art as any I guessrdquoI wondered why the director had made this film what was it really about Why not write a novel about art why not curate a coffee table book about great political photography Why did this story need to be told at this timeAnd as the credits rolled with the great Steve McCurryrsquos images the final lettering stated Shot on 35 mm It clicked that this is a film about film shot on filmMattrsquos immediate world is made up of pixels Benrsquos comprises grainThe movie asks one of artrsquos great questions have we sacrificed rigour at the altar of compromiseRahul daCunha is an adman theatre directorplaywright photographer and traveller Reach him at rahuldacunhamiddaycom