The Duel

[Bazile]

I'm currently watching the above  film.

What about it that is so menacing and 'scary' , even though I've watched it before ?

[Gromit]

Isn't it Speilberg's first movie, that he started in film school?

[curlyfries81]

I think it's the lack of actual dialogue and the fact that he knows the lorry driver is determined to pursue him to his death.  It also represents the fear one's mind is capable of conjuring up. 

It's an excellent film considering its lack of cast and script. 

[Bazile]

//It also represents the fear one's mind is capable of conjuring up.//

Yep ,I think you're correct there 

[Bazile]

The fact that you never see the driver adds to the suspense 

[andy-hughes]

You threw me there, the title is 'Duel', and it is an excellent film.

To go from minding your own business to fighting for your life, and nor knowing why, is a terrifying scenario.

From normality to terror, and the unspoken thought, 'That could be me ...' makes for a powerful setup, and a primeval sense of triumph at the end.

[Bazile]

It's a good thing that he wasn't on horseback 

See what I done there ?

[Old_Geezer]

You McClouded the discussion.

[Bazile]

Indeed OG

[douglas9401]

If he didn't keep stopping but drove for, say 100 miles, the Yorkie muncher would fail.

It's a bit like folk running in front of a train instead of just stepping to the side.

I look forward to lengthy and expert comment.

[dustypuss]

I said hay hay you you get of of McCloude

The rolling stones 😄

[noisynose]

Yes,he started on a high in 1971 and stayed there,many others have done so and faded onto oblivion,but he has stayed at the top.

This man has a truly amazing imagination 

🧐👍

[jno]

it had one big flaw, the signs all over the tanker saying "flammable" or words to that effect. The playwright Chekhov said that if you hang a rifle on the wall in the first act, you have to use it in the third act. Spielberg didn't observe this: nothing exploded.

Pretty good all the same.

[ToraToraTora]

I think it was Speilberg's college project wasn't it? Classic.

Fun fact, the sound the truck makes at the end is the same actual sound played when jaws dies.

[ToraToraTora]

Also the chases were filmed much slower than they looked and sped up on the film.

[jackthehat]

Parts of the film were used in an American TV series. I remember being confused when I recognised the footage having already seen the film. I thought it was an episode of the six-million dollar man but on reading the Wiki entry for this, it would seem that it was The Incredible Hulk - Never Give a Trucker an Even Break.

[jno]

it was made for TV in the States but padded out by another quarter-hour and released in cinemas abroad.