Duel: Spielberg’s Road Thriller That Announced a Master in the Making

 

A Gripping Introduction

It takes less than a minute of watching Duel, Steven Spielberg’s feature-length debut, to realise you’re witnessing the work of a master director. The opening shots alone, captured from the perspective of a camera mounted on the front bumper of a red Plymouth Valiant, deliver an unsettling visceral jolt. The mundane action of a car pulling out of a suburban driveway becomes something extraordinary. This bumper’s-eye-view, later used in Walter Hill’s 1978 thriller The Driver, showcases Spielberg’s early mastery of tension and visual storytelling.

Spielberg's Formative Years

Before Duel, Spielberg was no stranger to the camera. A prodigious talent from a young age, he caught the attention of Universal Pictures with his short film Amblin’ in 1968 at just 22 years old. Universal quickly signed him to a seven-year directing contract. By the time he made Duel, Spielberg had honed his skills directing television. However, the fact that Duel is considered his first feature-length film is a testament to his exceptional talent. Initially a 77-minute TV movie for ABC’s Movie of the Week, its success led to an extended 90-minute theatrical release.

Suspense and Simplicity

Fifty years and numerous accolades later, Duel remains a prime example of how to build suspense and terror through patience, simplicity, and delayed gratification. Spielberg, much like Alfred Hitchcock, knew that to truly captivate an audience, you must play them like a violin, using restraint to heighten the impact. In Duel, the story of a truck menacing a car on a California highway is all the plot needed, provided it’s in the hands of the right director.

Unfolding the Terror

Spielberg introduces the protagonist, David Mann, through his actions and surroundings rather than immediate dialogue. The film opens with the mundane sounds of weather, traffic, and sports news from the Plymouth’s speakers as David drives towards an unknown destination. The driver's identity is gradually revealed, first through a shot of his eyes in the rear-view mirror. This deliberate pacing enhances the feeling of speed and danger as the car transitions from neighbourhood streets to the open highway.

The Menacing Truck

The film reveals little about David’s pursuer, a truck driver whose face remains hidden for much of the film. All we see are cowboy boots and a relentless desire to torment David. This faceless menace, much like the shark in Jaws, represents an implacable evil. The truck, belching black smoke like an Industrial Age smokestack, becomes an unstoppable force, a land-shark on wheels.

Building to a Climax

Spielberg masterfully ramps up the tension. Initially, David overtakes the truck as any driver might. The truck then overtakes him at high speed, only to slow down again. This cycle repeats, turning what begins as an annoyance into a life-threatening game of cat and mouse. Spielberg’s use of space and perspective keeps the audience aware of the vehicles’ positions relative to each other, heightening the suspense.

A Minimalist Masterpiece

Duel capitalises on the era’s fascination with California road movies and muscle cars. Spielberg’s early work displays a keen understanding of how to use minimalism to maximize tension. The film, essentially a feature-length car chase, avoids tedium through a repertoire of dazzling shots and Richard Matheson’s fresh plot twists. The minimalist purity of Duel showcases Spielberg’s budding genius, a young director eager to explore the full range of cinematic tools at his disposal.

The Unseen Driver

The truck in Duel is so menacing it’s almost a character in itself, a precursor to the shark in Jaws. Spielberg anthropomorphizes the vehicle, making it a relentless, almost supernatural foe. David Mann’s realization that he’s facing an implacable evil, one that can’t be reasoned with but only destroyed, is a revelation that propels the film towards its intense climax.

While Leaving the Seat

Duel remains a compelling thriller and a testament to Spielberg’s early genius. Its blend of simplicity, tension, and masterful direction hinted at the greatness to come. Spielberg’s ability to turn a straightforward premise into a gripping narrative set the stage for his future successes, establishing him as a master of suspense and storytelling.