Steven Spielberg’s Thriller ‘Duel’ is a Relentless, Pulse-Pounding Game of Cat and Mouse [Watch]
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It’s strange to be showcasing a Steven Spielberg film on The Overlooked Motel. But even the work of legendary creators goes under-seen on occasion. And Duel is a classic example of exactly that. I will concede that Duel has a fanbase. It’s not completely forgotten. But when you compare it to the director’s more celebrated output, like Jaws, it simply doesn’t get the same level of acclaim or recognition.
Duel was made-for-TV but could easily have been released theatrically. And if it had, perhaps it would have more than a cult following. The flick delivers pulse-pounding tension at a breakneck pace.
Duel follows David (Dennis Weaver), a businessman (and family man) en route to a meeting with a client. Unfortunately, he crosses paths with a sadistic truck driver that wants to play a deadly game. David finds himself hurled into a hellish nightmare that culminates in a a harrowing series of chase sequences and near misses.
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Seeing as Duel is a Spielberg film, it’s no surprise that the proceedings are rife with tension. An atmospheric sense of dread begins building mere moments into the film’s runtime. Spielberg gradually ratchets up the tension with each passing moment, taking the viewer along for a ride that is equal parts relentless and horrifying.
The beloved director uses a number of effective techniques to foster tension in this nerve-shredding effort. He makes use of a cacophonous score that sounds like it was composed using an assortment of out of tune string instruments to deftly underscore some of the film’s most unsettling sequences.
Additionally, frenetic editing puts the viewer in the center of the action. With the proceedings unfolding at breakneck pace and playing out via a series of jump cuts that bounce between David and the disgruntled truck driver, it becomes a near impossibility to take one’s eyes off the screen.
Also augmenting the tense atmosphere is the relentless determination of the truck driver and the random nature of his fixation with David. He’s just looking for trouble. It’s not as if David does anything egregious to incite the driver’s wrath. The truck operator more or less picks David at random. That lack of rhyme or reason makes matters all the more frightening. If David had run the guy off the road or picked a fight with him, that would be a different story. Instead, we have a man trying to do his job and ultimately make it home to his family. But because he was on the wrong stretch of road at the wrong time, he has to fight for his very survival.
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Another element that makes Duel so effective is the notion that the situation in which David finds himself isn’t all that far-fetched. What happens to him could happen to any of us. And on that basis, the film hits closer to home. This isn’t a supernatural slasher that can’t be killed. We’re talking about a truck driver with an axe to grind that takes his road rage too far. It’s not an especially likely scenario. But it’s far from being outside the realm of possibilities.
The rural setting also proves to be particularly helpful at upping the intensity. David and the truck driver are out on the open road with nothing in sight for miles. That serves to remind just how vulnerable we really are on the road. There are stretches of highway similar to those featured in the film all over the country. There are pockets of highway with no cell phone service and no gas stations. I’ve often thought how frightening it would be to break down in such a place. But even worse would be to encounter a maniac with a twisted urge to exert dominance.
The final distinction that makes Duel supremely nerve-shredding is David’s relatively slow personal descent into terror. He is a very laid-back guy at the start. It seems as though he doesn’t have a care in the world. Even at the onset of the harassment, he doesn’t seem particularly perturbed. He kind of takes it in stride. And he keeps his cool far longer than I would’ve. Hell, we’re approaching the second act by the time he really begins to sweat. But as the truck driver continues to hassle him, David slowly becomes more and more desperate. On that basis, seeing him rattled begins to really rattle the viewer.
If you have yet to experience this shocking road horror for yourself, you can find Duel as a digital rental or download, not to mention on physical media.
That’s all for this installment of The Overlooked Motel. If you want to chat more about under-seen and underrated films, feel free to hit me up with your thoughts on Twitter @FunWithHorror!
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