Review of Side by Side (2012) by Kilo D — 16 Jan 2013

"Side by Side" is a rather well conceived documentary that talks to many great artists (Fincher, Scorsese, definitely not Nolan) and explores the 'digital takeover" from its start to modern day RED cameras. It's fun, insightful, and Mr. Reeves got some good lines from artists like David Linch.

The one qualm I have with the documentary is that--although it's not the movie's fault--it is a bunch of rich filmmakers, who (some) seem to only care about the cost and how easier digital is yet no one brings up the key issue here: digital moviemaking is a far better ethical decision than using film, for film requires the slaughter of innocent animals--that is the reason to shoot digital, and Lars von Trier, Anthony Dodd Mantle, Danny Boyle, and David Fincher all make the best argument for digital. Watch "Melancholia" after this and tell me digital is not, now, finally a quality option for directors.

On a side note, I started taking still photos on film, and despite the ethical problem there is a lot one can do with light and shadows with a film camera that one simply cannot replicate digitally, and there's no denying that film has a far better aesthetic; however, it looks to be on the way out yet if one takes the moral premise that digital is ethically superior to film and does not require the slaughter of animals it's good news. Nevertheless, "Side by Side" is successful in creating an intriguing dialogue.