Duel (1971)

[Werewolf]

Just watched this again on Svengoolie. I haven't seen it in ages.

It's kinda cool and kinda weird. It never really explains why the truck was after Dennis Weaver or if it was a just crazy trucker or something more. But it still really works.

[MIB41]

Spielberg said he took the same approach when he made his next film Jaws. In fact the sound of the semi crashing as it goes over the cliff can be heard when the shark is sinking after the canister explodes. You can hear the groan of the truck.

[PNGwynne]

I love this film. I was glad to re-watch it yesterday. The indefinite aspects of it add to its tension, IMO.

[Hedji]

Dennis Weaver is so great in it. He's the perfect Everyman.

[Werewolf]

I first saw it when I was little staying up late with my Mom watching the local late show. I still found it just as odd and creepy.

You really wouldn't think of a movie that takes place mostly on a highway in bright daylight as atmospheric or eerie, but it is.

[Earth 2 Chris]

I watched the first half of it, but I got pulled away for the next hour. I hadn't seen it in years either. Great film, and certainly showed that young Mr. Speilberg was going places.

Chris

[Hedji]

Ever see Spielberg's segment of the Night Gallery TV movie with Tom Bosley and Joan Crawford? It's a decent early Spielberg effort. (Although I like the Roddy McDowall/Ossie Davis segment better.)

[PNGwynne]

I agree with both your posts, Andy. And Werewolf, yes. that is really the mark of something scary--terror in full daylight and you can really empathize with Weaver. Credulity is strained a little as his car falters but keeps on, but it's a wild ride.

[PNGwynne]

I watched the first half of it, but I got pulled away for the next hour. I hadn't seen it in years either. Great film, and certainly showed that young Mr. Speilberg was going places.

Chris

I think it's still one of his best, A lot of care was put into TV movies back then, and I read somewhere (wiki?) that material such as the bus scene was added to enable a theatrical release.

[Hedji]

If memory serves, the lady with the snakes in cages makes a cameo at the gas station where Belushi fuels up in 1941.

[daz71]

love this film,i remember my dad saying you will love this when i was a kid of about 4 years old.it's great that you never see the driver and are left to make up your own mind up about who he is.

[Hedji]

Sort of like The Shape in Halloween. You don't really see Michael Myers... or understand his motivation. The Truck in Duel is just the Shape of Evil on wheels. No backstory needed. No motivation. It just works.

[Bruce Banner]

I think it's still one of his best, A lot of care was put into TV movies back then, and I read somewhere (wiki?) that material such as the bus scene was added to enable a theatrical release.

Yeah, they added a fair bit of footage to extend the running time from about 75 minutes to 90 minutes for the theatrical release.

Overall, Duel is a great piece of film making from Spielberg.