Duel (1971)

Plot Outline: A businessman is relentlessly pursued and terrorised by the driver of a massive truck. No matter what he does he can't get rid of the truck on his tail as he drives across the state.

The Review: Spielberg's infamous pre-cursor to Jaws shows many similarities with the classic giant shark film and both show Spielberg's immense talents at storytelling even at this early stage of his career. Like he did to the shark in Jaws, Spielberg manages to make the truck seem like an unstoppable, faceless beast, seemingly without motive. Spielberg makes simple things like the tyres spinning around come off as powerful killing tools and it's this that gives the truck it's personality. He never shows us the driver fully: we see silhouettes and an odd glimpse of his arm changing gears. But you don't need to see him because you're not worried about who is driving, more so why he is stalking you. There is no hidden message here - Spielberg just wanted to make a cat-and-mouse film and have the audience on tender hooks whilst watching. And that we do. Part of this is because of the lead. Dennis Weaver's character is effectively the only character in the film - his wife is briefly seen and some other characters are only very minor 5 minute parts. So the film is left to rest on his shoulders and he does an excellent job. You can hear the fear in his voice. You can sense his frustration at not being able to figure out what is going on. You can sense his paranoia when he goes into the cafe and looks around to see if he can spot the driver. When he's in trouble, the audience feels for him because we know we wouldn't want to be in his position as well. There's a great deal of tension to be had through the film, especially towards the end when the car starts to overheat.

Final Verdict: Duel is an excellent thriller which shows that it's not how much money you plough into a film, it's how creatively and wisely you use what you have got. Spielberg had little cash but oodles of talent and it shows here. Highly recommended.

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