Comments on: Duel (1971)

By: Toffo

Toffo — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 19:15:34 +0000

Christian is right: Duel is pure cinema. With the least, Spielberg made the most. I’m a great admirer of Spielberg’s (as I think he’s quite a sort of modern Perrault or Andersen), though I doubt he’d ever reached that summit of ‘pure cinema’ again along his career. Duel’s camera work is unsurpassable: it translates perfectly the ‘feeling of wilderness’ shown by abandoned cars, rags fluttering on a rope, birds singing, distant rails… not to mention marvelous photography, amazing music and unique Dennis Weaver’s performance. A movie forever.

By: pointlessmovie

pointlessmovie — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 15:47:16 +0000

this movie is great i think trucker 4 life that u r wrong this movie is exiting and every time the truck shows up it gives me chills and i always think that the truck is going to get the guy in the car this movie could be scary 4 little children so i suggest this be rated pg-13 but back to my love 4 this movie i think that anyone that is looking for a good exiting movie this will be the perfect one!

By: trucker4life

trucker4life — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 16:06:22 +0000

what was the point of this movie? you never even got to see the truck driver. they showed things that seemed important that really had nothing to do with the movie! i think it was a waste of 2 hours. i could make a better movie then that in fact i think i will if you want to see it go to youtube in about a month. i promise mine will be better and it may have a point. look for verses that will be the name. it will be verses(the duel remake) i hope you like it if you liked this dumb movie i know you will

By: R.W

R.W — Sun, 18 May 2008 21:33:32 +0000

Where is a picture of Cary Loftin? He is the truck drivers. Was he actually in the cafe in the movie? Who knows.

By: Joe Valdez

Joe Valdez — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 06:04:19 +0000

Chuck: Terrific points all around. I think as moviegoers you see what you want to see in a lot of movies and this is certainly the case with Spielberg. The Sugarland Express and Jaws both feature a lot of the sentimentality you mention, and whether it's sugar overload or not is really up to the individual viewer. However, none of that is to be found in Duel, which is probably the least compromising film emotionally Spielberg ever shot. Fletch: I think the fluidity that Spielberg was able to operate in when it came to action with moving cars was the greatest influence here. The Sugarland Express had its narrative faults, but the way the film was shot was mindblowing. You can see a lot of that experimentation in Duel. Thanks for commenting! Christian: Thanks for reminding me that not all critics are useless. Pauline Kael had her finger on the zeitgeist when it came to Spielberg. Obviously, all of us dig Duel, but I have my doubts that even a filmmaker of Spielberg's ability could go back and make the type of film at 65 that he was making at 25. If he tried, it would probably feel like David Bowie or Elton John putting on the makeup or wacky costumes and running around stage again. Alice: I completely forgot about Joy Ride. Before the days when the wizard of viral marketing could do no wrong, J.J. Abrams actually wrote and produced that movie, if I recall. Think of how bad Duel would have been with the trucker taunting Dennis Weaver over the CB radio. Ack. Oh, you are free to make fun of anyone on this site except for one: Jennifer Connelly.

By: Alice

Alice — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 05:13:58 +0000

Where is your deeply introspective comparative analysis with Joy Ride (Kah-andy Kayne…)? Classic! Steve Zahn deserved a supporting Oscar nod! (Is sarcasm permitted in this forum?)

By: christian

christian — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 20:48:37 +0000

Recall what Pauline Kael wrote about SUGARLAND EXPRESS in her uber-perceptive review:

In terms of the pleasure that technical assurance gives an audience, this film is one of the most phenomenal debut films in the history of movies. If there is such a thing as movie sense… Spielberg really has it. But he may be so full of it that he doesn’t have much else.

I love DUEL because it’s really pure cinema. Would love to see Spielberg tackle something small and raw again.

By: Fletch

Fletch — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 15:52:42 +0000

It really is a feat that he took such a simple premise and turned it into an enjoyable feature. It remains tense throughout. Amongst the films brought about via its influence, I’d have to cite Breakdown as a favorite, if for no other reason than that it featured the great JT Walsh as the villain.

By: Chuck

Chuck — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 13:13:42 +0000

This is a brilliant picture, and when you follow that in short succession with The Sugarland Express and Jaws, its easy to see why Spielberg became what he became. People can say whatever they wish, and certain Spielberg films more than encourage it, but Spielberg is undeniably one of the most fluid and able craftsman of the medium.

Too bad, he has, at times, a rank sentimentality that could make Capra blush. I wish he’d go back to the basics and make another of his lean, raw thrillers. War of the Worlds or Minority Report could’ve gone there, but they were made by Spielberg who’s too interested in being “good for you” and not enough interested in fucking with you. They also had some rather imperfect plotting. Munich comes closer than most modern Spielberg, a largely tense men on a mission thriller that few directors could handle with such visual mastery.