Driving Will Never Be The Same

Today Steven Spielberg is celebrated as a true artist. Let’s take a look at the first film he directed as a professional. While it was made-for-tv it is still a true classic you might have missed!

It is amazing how much suspense you can build with almost no dialogue or sets, just a car and a very menacing truck. This is the film that turned Steven Spielberg from a tv director into a wanted filmmaker. Dennis Weaver stars as a mild-mannered traveling salesman. Driving along a small, California two-lane highway he decides to pass a large truck. No big deal. Happens a million times a day, right? This time the trucker does not appreciate the action. The trucker decides to chase down Weaver. The ultimate in road rage!

Spielberg's storytelling mastery shows. In a stroke of genius we never really see the truck driver. It is just a beat-up truck chasing down poor Dennis Weaver. Spielberg later uses this same technique, to great effect, with the shark in ‘Jaws’. Of course, with ‘Jaws’, the shark didn't work correctly, but why quibble? In ‘Duel’ Spielberg tells the story with a minimum of effects, dialogue or explanation. Just a rogue truck chasing down our unsuspecting lead. Suspense builds until a satisfying final scene.

1971’s ‘Duel’ was written by Richard Matheson. He is now best known as the author of ‘I am Legend’. He also wrote one of the scariest things I remember from my youth, ‘Trilogy of Terror’. Pick that one up too if you can find it!

Simple, straightforward and powerfully suspenseful. I find ‘Duel’ to be quite satisfying as well! While it was filmed for TV in 1971 it has received strong recognition and full DVD treatment. ‘Duel’ stars Dennis Weaver, Eddie Firestone, Cary Loftin and a very menacing truck. Spielberg subsequently directed two more films for television, ‘Something Evil’ and ‘Savage’. Can anyone find a copy of either of those? They may be lost for the ages. Perhaps that can be the subject of the next 'Indiana Jones' movie?

Side note: Spielberg has said that he wanted to film ‘Duel’ like a film from Toho studios. Toho is the Japanese company responsible for ‘Godzilla’. Spielberg just wanted to replace the monster with a villainous truck. ‘Duel’ is not available to stream for free. However, it can be rented/purchased at all the usual places.