Duel (1983)

Very disappointed :(

Nice effects though.

It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows

Who'd of thought, that one day, a little story of a truck would end up the make for one, if not the GREATEST Director of all time? Steven Spielberg had done it all, T.V episodes and short films, then, came his big break, IN A PLAYBOY. A simple story of an everyday man, a business man, going for a long drive to save/finish an account. The open road, call of the morning, is answered by evil in it's most, AWESOME form. A tanker truck, a staple of action films. This, well Duel was the set up for mad max in a sense, just 2 warriors on the road, occasionally people, but, it was THEIR WAY on the highway. This 100% pure cult THRILLER, is, a new type ( well, classic) of a creature feature, the monster truck, driven by a serial killer, has it's sights ( the brilliant cinematography to show more of the truck like it's alive, though, sharp eye viewers will see the driver, least 5 times a clear shot) on the target, a red valiant. There's chilling moments with suiting music, light comedy, a touch of blood and, well, Duel will fuel you for more. There wasn't a sequel, but in a sense, a decent spiritual/remake, Joyride aka Roadkill. That is a decent thriller, and could be argued as a sequel. In Duel, David Mann ( the late great Dennis Weaver) has 2 sons, one old other young. In Joyride, two brothers, drive in a Valiant, and pick up one's girlfriend drive cross country and are terrorised by a truck driver. They're dad is estranged, so, in Fan theory, Joyride is Duel 2, just when the year is set, well, say the kids were 8 and 5, ad just over 20 then, it would work. Duel, a staple and a great ride, edge of your seat.

From the opening scene I can tell that this film is directed by an exceptional director. This is how remarkable Spielberg's directorial debut is. Without any exaggeration, Duel is one of the most suspenseful movies I've ever seen. While there are some wasted time, Spielberg used a lot of astute techniques that were enough to keep me, literally, on the edge of my seat! From the Hitchcockian use of the music score to increase the tension, to the innovative ideas that were continuously renewed. The thing that bothered me is the use of the voice-over. It's completely misused in this movie. Whenever the tension was dominant, the voice-over interrupted this tension. And if this terrible voice-over has been used at more stable times, it was very dull and monotonous. Dennis Weaver gave a superb performance. I didn't know he's such a great actor.Also, this movie maybe is the most beautiful-looking B-Movie ever! It really has a gorgeous cinematography that could be equal to many big-budget movies.(8.5/10)

Possible only through the magic of camera angles, close ups, direction of view, etc. Very good example of being able to make the impossible seem possible through the camera lens.

DUEL is an exemplary addition to the 'car chase' genre of films in the 1970s. Remembered today for being Steven Spielberg's first movie, it's also his best directed, even today. He doesn't let himself get distracted by character, sentiment or special effects; instead it's just a car, a truck, and a lengthy and picturesque stretch of desert road on which to film. He keeps what is in essence a single-location thriller interesting through lots of inventive camera angles, camerawork which alone adds to the tension and build up of suspense; watch, for instance, just how many times you see the truck in the background of a shot. The vehicles and action are perfectly filmed and although the story is a little slow at times (the extra padded scenes required to build this up to feature rather than TV movie length) even these moments have the requisite tension. Dennis Weaver does a stalwart one-man-band job but the real star of the show is unsung hero and stunt driver Carey Loftin, the man behind the wheel of that Satanic lorry.