I just watched Steven Spielberg's Duel this weekend. A simple, great movie. For those who are not familiar with it as I wasn't until I watched an interview with him, it was his first feature film shot for TV. He was able to complete the shooting in 13 days. There is a great 45 minute interview with him on the bonus section.
Spielberg's "Duel"
- Thread starter firemedic096
- Start date
Meh, it's pretty cool, for TV.
I don't mean to put down your tastes -- we all like different movies. I'm quite sure there are movies that I think are awesome that you think are stupid, and that's okay. This world would be boring if we all liked the same stuff.
Anyway, "Duel" just doesn't do it for me. I'm actually halfway through watching it, right now, and I might not finish. The most I can appreciate it for is that it's basically an audition-tape for Spielberg (my favorite). It's like he's saying, "Hey, look what I can do -- I can shoot a compelling action scene". Cuz that's all we get in this movie, and nothing more.
It's so episodic. We get a wild interaction with the crazed truck-driver. Then we take a break. Then, we get a wild interaction with the crazed truck-driver. Then, we take a break. Then, we get a wild interaction, yadda yadda, jeez, where the fuck is the three-act-arch? This is the longest one-act movie ever.
The Spielberg adventures that I grew up on have so much more than just compelling action sequences. They have loveable characters we can latch onto. They take us through a range of emotions, romance, humor, drama. "Duel" has a dude in a car, and we don't know anything about him, except that he has to get to an appointment.
Whether I finish watching this thing or not, I think I'm gonna have to watch the climactic finale of "Deathproof", immediately afterward, to wash the bad taste out of my mouth.
I guess I was more than halfway through. Just finished it.
I like this ending much better:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjhtr0vTtcw
I like this ending much better:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjhtr0vTtcw
That ending was a lot better. True, it really is a pretty basic plot line without any real depth to the characters, but like he said...it was the movie that put him on the map as a feature film director at such a young age. It just goes to show how a basic concept can be turned into a huge stepping stone since after it was on television it went to Europe as a feature film and was a huge success.
They shot additional scenes and released this movie theatrically in Europe and Asia, winning awards at CANNES. As with most movies, you have to have the context of filmmaking style for the time this came out. DUEL has many innovative elements and a lot of action for a film at this time (1971, before even I was born).
Then again, you don't "have to". I generally don't like movies pre-1960's with a few exceptions of classics.
Then again, you don't "have to". I generally don't like movies pre-1960's with a few exceptions of classics.
Couldn't disagree more, CF. Duel is still one of SS's all-time best films. It's very European in style -- very cinematic. Almost no dialogue. Never get tired of it. Death Proof, on the other hand, bored me (and I adore Tarantino). To each, his own.
Ugh.
I disagree with all of this and I think it's wrong (I'm a firm believe opinions can be wrong).
Duel is an absolute stonewall classic and easily Spielberg's most underrated film (it's actually in his top three).
It's a good, solid film; being made for TV does not mean that it's not a film. The world was rife with made-for-TV movies before cable came around.
Cracker - I'm not being nasty here, but I challenge anyone to make a film that looks that good with that much action in 13 days for under $1.5 million; I'll even concede inflation - make it $3.25 mill' in todays money. And you do have to keep in mind that it was a first feature.
Cracker - I'm not being nasty here, but I challenge anyone to make a film that looks that good with that much action in 13 days for under $1.5 million; I'll even concede inflation - make it $3.25 mill' in todays money. And you do have to keep in mind that it was a first feature.
I'm not hatin' on Spielberg -- he's my favorite! Yes, it was quite an accomplishment for he and his crew to complete this action-packed feature under such conditions. And I actually am old enough to remember the TV Movie-Of-The-Week.
sonnyboo, I totally see your point about understanding the context in which a film was made. I'd bet if you showed "Star Wars" and "Episode I" to a 12-year-old today, they'd probably choose "Episode I". Show that same 12-year-old "Raiders of the Lost Ark" and "Pirates of the Carribean", and they're probably taking "Pirates". Yet, I don't think any of us would argue against "Star Wars" and "Raiders" being far superior, respectively.
My complaint about "Duel" isn't the production, but the screenplay. It's probably 10-pages long!
Truck chases car. Dude narrowly escapes. Truck chases car, again. Dude narrowly escapes, again. Dude mutters something under his breath. Lather, repeat, and rinse.
I tend to prefer movies that have a traditional 3-act arch. I wanna see my hero undergo some kind of change. Nothing even slightly like that exists in "Duel". It's nothing more than one really long chase-sequence, completely bereft of any real story or characters. Try to describe our hero. Describe his character, without referencing physical description. You can't do it. Because he isn't a character. He's an empty action-figure.
Alcove, I don't feel like your post was anything remotely close to nasty. On the contrary, it is I who would like to make sure that you guys don't take my criticism of this movie as any attack on any of your tastes. Like 2001 said, to each his own. Look, there are movies that I've enjoyed quite a bit, that are nothing more than pure action, with some stupid "plot" that exists solely to move us from one action-scene to the next. "Transporter" comes to mind. So, I'm not going to put anybody down for liking "Duel"; I'm just explaining why it didn't do anything for me.
sonnyboo, I totally see your point about understanding the context in which a film was made. I'd bet if you showed "Star Wars" and "Episode I" to a 12-year-old today, they'd probably choose "Episode I". Show that same 12-year-old "Raiders of the Lost Ark" and "Pirates of the Carribean", and they're probably taking "Pirates". Yet, I don't think any of us would argue against "Star Wars" and "Raiders" being far superior, respectively.
My complaint about "Duel" isn't the production, but the screenplay. It's probably 10-pages long!
Truck chases car. Dude narrowly escapes. Truck chases car, again. Dude narrowly escapes, again. Dude mutters something under his breath. Lather, repeat, and rinse.
I tend to prefer movies that have a traditional 3-act arch. I wanna see my hero undergo some kind of change. Nothing even slightly like that exists in "Duel". It's nothing more than one really long chase-sequence, completely bereft of any real story or characters. Try to describe our hero. Describe his character, without referencing physical description. You can't do it. Because he isn't a character. He's an empty action-figure.
Alcove, I don't feel like your post was anything remotely close to nasty. On the contrary, it is I who would like to make sure that you guys don't take my criticism of this movie as any attack on any of your tastes. Like 2001 said, to each his own. Look, there are movies that I've enjoyed quite a bit, that are nothing more than pure action, with some stupid "plot" that exists solely to move us from one action-scene to the next. "Transporter" comes to mind. So, I'm not going to put anybody down for liking "Duel"; I'm just explaining why it didn't do anything for me.
I don't know your age, CF, but I'm willing to bet you're young enough that, with a few exceptions (Jaws, Star Wars), most movies from the 1970's don't do much for you. It was a very different time for movies during that decade; I personally mourn its passing.
Duel was not about a truck chasing a guy. If it were remade today, all of the subtext would be eliminated and the action pumped up because modern audiences tolerance for metaphor is extremely limited. If you listen to Dennis Weaver's voice-overs, you'll notice he's talking about himself and his life; topics which might seem superfluous. They are not. They are the point, but the screenplay doesn't club you over the head with them like movies have to nowadays.
Duel is very dreamlike - or nightmarish - and that is wholly intentional. It may in fact be a nightmare. One of my favorite Police songs, "Synchronicity II", uses a similar metaphor, if you're familiar with those lyrics.
Not trying to sell this movie to you, just giving you food for thought.
Have you seen The French Connection, The Graduate, and Midnight Cowboy? I'd be curious to hear your reaction to them.34. Haven't seen too many movies from the 70's, though your prediction is probably correct.
Wait, what?! I don't recall very much voice over narration at all, and when I did notice it, I assumed it was added in post, because what we were watching on screen wasn't completely clear (we couldn't tell that he was near the peak of the mountain, so they had him say, "Where's the summit", and "There it is". To what voice-overs are you referring to?
Not trying to sell this movie to you, just giving you food for thought.
Nope. If you were to recommend one for me to watch tonight, which would you say?
I would just like to ask, Cracker, if you watch all films the same way that you watched "Duel"? Did you really give it a fair shake? In your first post you were only half way through it and had already come to conclusions. How can you watch and surf the 'net at the same time? And I don't consider watching a film with commercials a viable viewing as it has been "edited". When I sit down for a film at home I treat it as if I had spent the $8 - I've got my drink and my munchies and I don't do anything else until it's over. The only exception is that for really long films, if it's in my DVD player rather than on cable, I'll hit pause if I have to go empty my over 50 bladder.
As I said, you're not hit over the head with it. It's been a while since I've seen the movie, but I believe he has an argument with his wife on the phone, then a couple other references in V-O. In any case, you either buy the "truck as metaphor" angle or you don't.
Tough question. They are all masterpieces (Midnight Cowboy was the first and only X-rated movie to with the Oscar for Best Picture). But if Duel bored you, these probably will, too. French Connection has a famous chase scene, but it's by no means an action movie.
Whoah. This is weird. So, I start googling, as well as looking up on rottentomatoes.com and netflix, the three movies you've mentioned, to decide which to watch tonight (if I end up watching a movie). Okay, "Midnight Cowboy" looks interesting. "The Graduate", of course I was already familiar with that movie, but wanted to know more of what people say about it.
Then, I start looking for "The French Connection". On netflix, every time I put "French Connection" in the search box, then pressed "search", it took me to a page that said I searched for "French Accept". What?!
http://www.netflix.com/WiSearch?oq=&v1=the+french+connection&search_submit=
So, I try googling. When I searched for "the french connection" in my google quick-search in my toolbar, it takes me to this page:
http://www.google.com/search?q=the+french+connection&sourceid=ie7&rls=com.microsoft:en-us:IE-SearchBox&ie=&oe=
When I tried searching it from google's main webpage, it took me to this blank results page:
http://www.google.com/#sclient=psy&hl=en&site=&source=hp&q=the+french+connection&aq=0&aqi=g10&aql=&oq=the+french+connec&gs_rfai=CWVdSEMjhTOOBBobgzgSqn4y0DgAAAKoEBU_QM-XD&psj=1&fp=a172e782197305bd
I go to rottentomatoes. I do a search for "the french connection", and it takes me to this page, as if the movie doesn't exist. Take a look at what's in the web address bar. Again, there's that replacement of "Accept", where I definitely typed "Connection".
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/search/full_search.php?search=the%20french%20Accept:
What the hell is going on?
So, I get creative. I do a search for "Gene Hackman", then follow his filmography until I find "The French Connection", and I click on the link. It takes me to this page:
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/french_connection/
What?! The?! Fuck?!
Is there a conspiracy to keep me from watching this movie? Somebody else try this; see if you get the same results.
Then, I start looking for "The French Connection". On netflix, every time I put "French Connection" in the search box, then pressed "search", it took me to a page that said I searched for "French Accept". What?!
http://www.netflix.com/WiSearch?oq=&v1=the+french+connection&search_submit=
So, I try googling. When I searched for "the french connection" in my google quick-search in my toolbar, it takes me to this page:
http://www.google.com/search?q=the+french+connection&sourceid=ie7&rls=com.microsoft:en-us:IE-SearchBox&ie=&oe=
When I tried searching it from google's main webpage, it took me to this blank results page:
http://www.google.com/#sclient=psy&hl=en&site=&source=hp&q=the+french+connection&aq=0&aqi=g10&aql=&oq=the+french+connec&gs_rfai=CWVdSEMjhTOOBBobgzgSqn4y0DgAAAKoEBU_QM-XD&psj=1&fp=a172e782197305bd
I go to rottentomatoes. I do a search for "the french connection", and it takes me to this page, as if the movie doesn't exist. Take a look at what's in the web address bar. Again, there's that replacement of "Accept", where I definitely typed "Connection".
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/search/full_search.php?search=the%20french%20Accept:
What the hell is going on?
So, I get creative. I do a search for "Gene Hackman", then follow his filmography until I find "The French Connection", and I click on the link. It takes me to this page:
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/french_connection/
What?! The?! Fuck?!
Is there a conspiracy to keep me from watching this movie? Somebody else try this; see if you get the same results.
Both the Google pages worked for me (from your links) and when I rotten tomatoed The French Connection it came up with the results straight away.
Not a global conspiracy then
Not a global conspiracy then
Must have been a hiccup in your system...all worked fine for me.
So weird. I don't think it's a hiccup. I think I've got a previously-undetected virus. One that does some weird stuff any time the word "connection" is used in a web browser. I just installed Google Chrome and I'm still getting the same weird results. Scanned for viruses, but nothing. So strange. Am I gonna have to reload Windows? Thank God this is my internet computer, and not my editing computer.
Sorry to go off-topic. So, back on topic -- "Duel" is lame!
Sorry to go off-topic. So, back on topic -- "Duel" is lame!
I find Duel to be an absolutely brilliant film written by the
amazing Richard Matheson. For me (and I suspect many of us older
than 40) the very fact that we know little about the protagonist
and nothing about the villain is what makes this so terrifying.
I have a friend with a 14 year old boy. He had seen the three
prequels but was never a “Star Wars” fan. He was always teasing me
about being a “nerd” and a “fanboy” so I challenged him to sit
with me and watch “Star Wars”. And we watched the real, non-special
edition version.
Obviously I wouldn’t be mentioning this if he didn’t become a huge
“Star Wars” fan.
amazing Richard Matheson. For me (and I suspect many of us older
than 40) the very fact that we know little about the protagonist
and nothing about the villain is what makes this so terrifying.
I have a friend with a 14 year old boy. He had seen the three
prequels but was never a “Star Wars” fan. He was always teasing me
about being a “nerd” and a “fanboy” so I challenged him to sit
with me and watch “Star Wars”. And we watched the real, non-special
edition version.
Obviously I wouldn’t be mentioning this if he didn’t become a huge
“Star Wars” fan.
Sweet. Well, that's good to know.