Film Review: Beneath Los Angeles

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As far as I know, Chris Hume’s “Beneath Los Angeles” is the only documentary film made about the construction of the Metro Red Line. That fact alone makes this a must see movie for transit-enthusiasts, not to mention those interested in the projects that have shaped our city and region. In my opinion, a $5billion public works project should have a number of documentaries devoted to it, but it looks Chris was the only filmmaker in a city of “filmmakers” who gave a shit.

By the time I arrived in Los Angeles in 2003, the Red Line had already been in its current state for a number of years so I missed out on all the fun of the construction that is chronicled in this film. It still blows my mind to think that not much more than a decade ago the Los Angeles subway was still under construction. The second phase of this mega public works project is captured through Hume’s lens, forever immortalizing all the trials and tribulations of what is considered one of the largest and most complex construction projects in the United States. Don’t look for high-production values, most of the film is shot with hand-held video in a guerilla film making style, instead appreciate the breadth and depth that Hume’s pays to all aspects of the project - from the stories of the miners who dug the tunnels to the woes of the Hollywood small business owners who felt the financial impact of the tunneling. This is fair-and-balanced reporting in a way that Fox News and Michael Moore have yet to grasp - just the facts ma’am. Well, and the opinions too, but the opinions from every angle. Some of the characters on this journey (and their opinions) are downright entertaining. You’ll meet cowboy miners “Pastrami” and “Sinbad”, wacky anti-MTA conspiracy theorists, engineers with accents, and so many more. It’s great to see the people behind the drills and the desks.

The star-studded cast includes: Bob Bartels and the Pink Lady, Mike Carter, Eddie Chavez, Barbara Combs, Burt Dorr, Dr. Dan Eisenstein, Manny Gomez, Renee Greif, Paul Halkyard, Gary Kramer, David Laramie, Isabel Lopez, Robert Millar, Kerry Morrison, Casiano Palma, “Pastrami”, Mayor Richard Riordan, Jerry Schneiderman, Tim Shoemaker, “Sinbad”, Jack “Smileman” Smylie, Tony Traylor, John Walsh and Zev Yaroslavsky.

If you’re at all interested in Los Angeles Public Transit, which I assume you are since you’re a MetroRider reader, please check out Beneath Los Angeles, and post your opinions here when you’ve checked it out.

Note: The production quality of the DVD itself is somewhat shoddy, evidently this is a very homemade production, so if you have a touchy DVD player it may not playback correctly.