Duel

"I'd like to report a truck driver who's been endangering my life."

Imagine for a moment you’re driving down the road in your car; it’s not the greatest car – in fact it’s downright pitiful. You are on a two-lane highway in a desolate part of the state, and you’re all alone. Now, imagine an enormous tanker truck stalking you, harassing you, and attempting to end your life. You've just firmly landed in the passenger’s seat alongside David Mann (Dennis Weaver) as he battles for his life in Duel, the feature-length directorial debut of Steven Spielberg.

When I first saw this masterpiece of suspense, I was literally on the edge of my seat. Yes, I know it’s just a movie, but if they didn't affect the viewer’s emotions in some form or fashion, they wouldn't serve a purpose, now would they? The premise is so basic – yet so primal – that it’s hard not to identify with David. He’s the little guy that gets thrown into one Goliath of a situation (bad pun, I know). And all the basic elements work, too: the need for survival, the value of life, and the gut-wrenching fear of the unknown.

I mean, who hasn't thought about passing one of those massive trucks on the interstate?  I drove cross-country moving from California to Tennessee, and there are some long, lonely stretches of road.  Trust me; I definitely wondered about inadvertently hacking off someone I passed along the way, afraid of creating a real Duel situation of my own.  This movie just gets in your mind that way, and it’s still effective to this day. Duel is one roller coaster that you’ll want to ride again and again.


Film Geek Footnotes:

1. Being a Spielberg aficionado, it’s hard for me not to like this film. I honestly believe that those who are either not familiar with his work, or even those who don’t particularly care for it, would have a hard time denying the skill behind the camera and what he was able to accomplish in the very small shooting schedule of 13 days. Who would have thought that someone could create such great tension from such a small screen that was broadcast on television back in the 1970s?
2. A fantastic work of cinematic tension, Duel was originally broadcast as feature-length film for ABC’s “Movie of the Week” in 1971. The movie was real nail-biter, and due to its positive reception, it was then expanded and released theatrically overseas. While European critics found abstract themes in the film – specifically class struggle in America – Spielberg always considered it High Noon on wheels. And Spielberg’s right: David Mann avoids confrontation throughout the entire film until he’s forced to challenge his aggressor “face-to-face.”