Review of Side by Side (2012) by James C — 25 Aug 2014

One of the most famous match cuts in cinematic history is the scene in '2001: A Space Odyssey', where a knuckle-dragging ape man on pre-historic Earth, upon discovering the practical applications of animal bones as tools and weapons via a friendly alien monolith, hurls one high into the air to be transformed by the subtle art of film editing into a similarly shaped spaceship floating in the starry heavens a few million years later. In that one scene, Stanley Kubrick managed to encapsulate all that needed to be said about the evolution of man and technology in the simplest and most poetically eloquent way, as well as demonstrate the sheer power of cinema as a legitimate art form. It is one of the many scenes film maker Christopher Kenneally uses in his fascinating documentary 'Side By Side' to illustrate the advancement of movie technology from celluloid to digital, as he ruminates on the cultural, artistic and socio-economic implications inherent in this seemingly inevitable evolution in film.

Kenneally bizarrely employs The One Ted Theodore Logan (Keanu Reeves) to interview a veritable who's-who of movie legends from directors to cinematographers to editors to VFX luminaries; some with their feet planted firmly in the new digital arena, including the predictable faces of technology prodders like 3D-philiac and psychotic Titanic enthusiast James Cameron, and Star Wars chipmunk George Lucas; others slightly more sceptical, such as cerebral blockbuster machine Christopher Nolan and his regular cinematographic chum Walter Pfister alongside legendary 'The Deer Hunter' lenser Vilmos Zsigmond. Sitting back with amused detachment, seeing both sides of the argument, is the almost Yoda-like presence of Martin Scorcese, whilst Steven Spielberg is conspicuous by his absence.

Filmed over an extensive period of time judging from the interchangeable facial and cranial hairstyles our interviewer and guide seems to exhibit, Keanu Reeves proves to be an erudite and insightful interviewer, managing to extract cogent and level headed arguments on the pros and cons of both the digital and celluloid formats from the likes of Danny Boyle, David Lynch, David Fincher, Steven Soderbergh, Walter Murch, Lars Von Trier, The Wachowski Siblings, Robert Rodriguez, Vittorio Storaro and many others involved in the art and industry of film making. Along the way we get some interesting tidbits on how movies like '28 Days Later' and 'Slumdog Millionaire' probably wouldn't have been possible without the digital format, and how directors utilising finite celluloid can only shoot for ten minutes at a time. Some lament the loss of an art form that, despite its technical and practical drawbacks, focused film makers on bringing their A-game to produce stunning works of art. Yet others are excited by the unprecedented freedom and experiences that the new digital age could provide both audiences and film makers alike.

But what comes across most is that, regardless of the technology used, it is the sheer dedication, passion and enthusiasm of the human element that goes into the art of movie-making that is the key to its continuing success and evolution. 'Side By Side' is an accessible, sober and non-judgemental attempt to tackle one of the most prescient debates currently preoccupying our beloved medium today. One of its most successful and charming aspects is how Christopher Kenneally manages to get the viewer to ruminate and interact on the subject, frequently prodding his digital finger at you with an encouraging, "So, what do you think?". Highly recommended to anyone with the slightest interest in the history of cinema, its evolution and how your favourite slice of two hours' worth of entertainment manages to lug its way from an idea in some cinematic story-teller's crowded brain-box to the illustrious echelons of the silver screen.