Film (figuratively speaking)

I rarely watch DVD extras. The last commentary track I viewed was for "Strangers With Candy," which came out around 2006. I have little interest in the technical aspects of filmmaking. I purposely avoid 3-D. CGI leaves me cold. I've never seen "Star Wars" or "Avatar," and I have no desire to do so. I remember being wowed by "Wall-E" at the cineplex but wanting to weep as the credits rolled by as I realized how many hundreds or thousands of people and hundreds of millions of dollars were devoted to a disposable commercial spectacle. I want storytelling. I want it simple, real, vivid and striking.

The documentary "SIDE BY SIDE" (A-minus) wisely avoids nostalgia in favor of mixing a love of cinema with sober analysis of technology in this impressive chronicle of the history and future of filmmaking in the digital age. And it appealed to a Luddite like me.

Most of the significant filmmakers are accounted for, led by legends Martin Scorsese and David Lynch, but it's dominated by mid-career auteurs: Boyle, Soderbergh, Nolan, Rodriguez, Linklater, von Trier, the Wachowskis. We also get old-school greats like the "McCabe and Mrs. Miller" director of photography Vilmos Zsigmond (few people have more impressive resumes). I gained an appreciation for James Cameron, even though I've never seen one of his movies.

We get a satisfying range of opinion from filmmakers across the spectrum. Danny Boyle's "Slumdog Millionaire" was a breakthrough (winning an Oscar for its digital cinematography); Scorsese has said he plans to shoot exclusively in 3-D, threatening to besiege us with vapid fairytales like "Hugo"; Christopher Nolan and his cinematographer/DP Wally Pfister vow to continue shooting on 35mm celluloid.

One not insignificant setback is the presence of executive producer Keanu Reeves, who serves as interviewer. He creates a distraction with his appearance (his rotating hairstyles, patchy beard, occasional nylon cap), his drab on-camera anecdotes, and his zombie-like narration.

The archival footage from the 1970s and '80s wonderfully chronicles the early days of video/digital, and it's perfectly complemented by interviews with pioneer George Lucas. When you see the history of technological progress condensed into 98 minutes, it's all quite amazing and a little scary, exhilarating but unsettling. On the one hand much of it seems sterile and pedantic; on the other hand, some of the images (captured by the latest 5K-DPI cameras) have a luscious texture you could mistake for celluloid. One talking head points out that the world has seen 80 different video formats since the dawn of TV.

The documentary truly earns its stripes at its climax, during its final 20 minutes when it generates a sharp debate about What It All Means and whither cinema. Several talking heads warn of the likelihood that the democratization of the moving image will water down everything, drowning out what one calls "the tastemakers." "Side by Side" doesn't miss an issue; it reminds us, for instance, that digital images aren't infallible (there's no guarantee we'll be able to read those 1's and 0's 50 years from now). There are worries that young generations won't be able to discern what's real and what's not. But then Cameron reminds us the movies have been mostly about make-believe from the start-- sets were fake, the rain wasn't really rain: "You're street-night-exterior-New-York was a day-interior-Burbank; what was ever real?"

If you love film (figuratively speaking), you'll appreciate this peak behind the scenes that isn't just for cinephiles or tech nerds. As I watched, my mind wandered to my videotape collection; I reminded myself that vinyl albums still exist. I watched this documentary on DVD projected through my flat-screen high-definition television. I couldn't help feeling nostalgic for '70s American road movies and fearful for the local analog art-house cinema. Will the old school hang on as long I do?

Danny Boyle eloquently sums up that shift from old-fashioned communal screenings of celluloid in movie theaters to private digital viewings on iPhones: "You've got to go with it, you know. And if you become unable to deal with it, then that's fine. Because that means your time is finished, and it's time for other people to take it on."