Duel

--Reviewed by Lindy Loo

Plotline: Road-tripping across California for a business-meeting, David Mann makes the mistake of passing a big-rig, inciting what eventually turns into a life-or-death battle between car and truck as Mann attempts to make it to some sort of safe-haven and out of the cross-hairs of a killer big-rig.

Scariness factor: This movie is very 1970's, but as with most old Spielberg flicks, it still somehow manages to be creepy and leave you tense throughout.

Gross-Out Factor: Squeaky clean.

Complaints: My only only only complaint--why doesn't David Mann just turn around and go home??



High Points: I heart this movie. I'm sure I've mentioned this before on this blog. I've liked it since I was little and my dad made us all watch it (they still play it on tv frequently), and I still like it. Old Spielberg is Good Spielberg. And this flick is proof-positive. My favorite thing about this movie is how he is able to so deftly anthropomorphize a very large, very creepy-looking truck to the point that you completely forget about the fact that there's got to be somebody behind the wheel and begin to look at the hulking truck itself as the monster and pursuer. Not once do we ever get a look at who's driving the truck, and the hints we get that there's even a driver are very very minimal. It's all about the truck. And the truck is a fucked up and scary one, barreling down the highway at 100mph and taking the corners like a little compact car. This truck is FREAKY. Spielberg also does a good job of playing up our fear of road-rage gone wrong, and in this movie, it's gone REALLY REALLY wrong. Dennis Weaver also is pretty kick-ass in this flick as well--he is a sweaty little high-strung and irritating business-runt, and he plays this out well throughout the whole movie. This is particularly impressive seeing as the movie is reliant pretty much solely upon his acting, seeing as most of the movie consists of just him and his facial expressions and reactions as he is pursued across the desert by a rusty and horrific big-rig.

Overall: I really do recommend this movie, especially if you've ever been a Steven Spielberg fan. It's right behind Jaws in quality and spookiness and well worth checking out.



Grade: A