Taken for a Ride
In this article, we will explore the topic of Taken for a Ride in depth, addressing its different aspects, its importance in today's society and its relevance in the contemporary world. Along these lines, we will analyze the impact that Taken for a Ride has had in various areas, from culture and politics to technology and the economy. We will immerse ourselves in its history, its implications and its evolution over time, with the aim of better understanding its meaning and its influence on our daily lives. Furthermore, we will examine the future prospects of Taken for a Ride and its possible development in the coming years, as well as the controversies and debates it currently generates.
| Taken for a Ride | |
|---|---|
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| Directed by | Jim Klein |
| Narrated by |
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| Distributed by | New Day Films |
Release date |
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Running time | 55 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Taken for a Ride is a documentary film by Martha Olson and Jim Klein about the Great American Streetcar Scandal. The 55-minute film was first broadcast on August 6, 1996 on the PBS television series POV.
Synopsis
Taken for a Ride begins with interviews on the inefficiencies and congestion on Los Angeles' highways. Next, the film displays a variety of archival footage on streetcar systems around the United States, asserting that streetcars were a widespread and efficient means of transportation. The film continues into a description of the General Motors streetcar conspiracy, starting with a history of National City Lines and Pacific City Lines and General Motors' investment in both companies. The film builds the argument that streetcar systems purchased by these companies were deliberately sabotaged through service reductions and fare increases, then replaced with profitable, less convenient, bus systems. Next, the film makes a connection between this conspiracy and the construction of the Interstate Highway System and the suburbanization of America in the face of the highway revolts in the 1960s and 1970s. The film ends with footage of the reduction of Philadelphia's trolleybus system at the time of filming.
Analysis
Academic Sara Sullivan gave the film a mixed rating in her 2010 review: "(Taken for a Ride) presents a compelling history of the streetcars and the battles over freeways in the 1970s," but that the film "feels incomplete, with certain aspects needing to be fleshed out and other links made."
References
- ^ Sullivan, Sara (2010). "Taken for a Ride (Review)" (PDF). Film & History: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Film and Television Studies. 40 (2): 142–144. doi:10.1353/flm.2010.0001. S2CID 143505886. Retrieved 14 January 2015.
External links
- Taken for a Ride at the PBS P. O. V. website
- Taken for a Ride at IMDb
- Article on the film at Culture Change magazine
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