Rent Duel (1971)
3.8 of 5 from 169 ratings
1h 26min
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
- Dennis Weaver stars as the travelling salesman waging a desperate battle for survival after he is mysteriously singled out for destruction. Praised for its deft use of relentlessly mounting psychological tension, Duel features one of the most uniquely terrifying "characters" in movie history: a massive, roaring 40-ton truck with more sheer menace than most flesh-and-blood villains. But Steven Spielberg was, literally, just getting started. A few years later, the action of Spielberg's blockbuster hit Jaws would echo Duel's tale of a lone hero in a heart-stopping fight to the finish against a monstrous, inhuman foe.
- Actors:
- Dennis Weaver, Jacqueline Scott, Eddie Firestone, Lou Frizzell, Gene Dynarski, Lucille Benson, Tim Herbert, Charles Seel, Shirley O'Hara, Alexander Lockwood, Amy Douglass, Dick Whittington, Carey Loftin, Dale Van Sickel, Shawn Steinman
- Directors:
- Steven Spielberg
- Producers:
- George Eckstein
- Voiced By:
- Dick Whittington
- Writers:
- Richard Matheson
- Studio:
- Universal Pictures
- Genres:
- Classics, Thrillers
- Collections:
- Cinema Paradiso's 2024 Centenary Club: Part 2, Films by Genre, Roger Corman's Poe Cycle, The Best American Road Movies, A Brief History of Film..., What We Were Watching in 1971
- BBFC:
- Release Date:
- 31/05/2021
- Run Time:
- 89 minutes
- Languages:
- English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
- Subtitles:
- English Hard of Hearing
- Formats:
- Pal
- Aspect Ratio:
- Widescreen 1.78:1 / 16:9
- Colour:
- Colour
- BLU-RAY Regions:
- B
- Bonus:
- A Conversation with Director Steven Spielberg
- Steven Spielberg and the Small Screen
- Richard Matheson : Writing of 'Duel'
- Trailer
- Photograph and Poster Gallery
- BBFC:
- Release Date:
- 13/11/2023
- Run Time:
- 89 minutes
- Languages:
- English Dolby Atmos, French DTS 5.1, German DTS 5.1, Italian DTS 5.1, Japanese DTS 5.1, Latin American Spanish DTS 5.1, Spanish DTS 5.1
- Subtitles:
- Canadian French, Danish, English Hard of Hearing, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Latin American Spanish, Mandarin, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish
- DVD Regions:
- Region 0 (All)
- Formats:
- Pal
- Aspect Ratio:
- Widescreen 1.85:1
- Colour:
- Colour
- BLU-RAY Regions:
- (0) All
- Bonus:
- Includes original TV Movie version of Duel in 1.33:1 Aspect Ratio (HD)
- A Conversation with Director Steven Spielberg
- Steven Spielberg and the Small Screen
- Richard Matheson: The Writing of Duel
- Photograph and Poster Gallery
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Reviews (3) of Duel
Gripping suspense - Duel review by TB
The first proper film by Spielberg and a glimpse of what was to come from this director. This is a classic film with gripping suspense and at times an eerie feel to it as a mainly silent film submerges you in a deranged game of cat and mouse.
1 out of 1 members found this review helpful.
Spielberg's finest - Duel review by AER
Originally directed for TV, this is Steven Spielberg's feature film debut (it was released at the cinema in Europe with added scenes) from back in 1971.
Starring Dennis Weaver as a man who gets on the wrong side of truck driver from hell. Ever been on the receiving end of road rage? This is where your oppressor probably got it from. Duel is stripped back and menacing - the truck is iconic, we never actually see the driver, and the ending is awesome.
For me this is Spielberg's best film as he keeps his nerve - it's a pure thriller - no compromise. We know a tiny bit more about the highly strung lead who probably has a part in bringing this mess into his life. This was before Spielberg got soft and melodramatic like he did in the '80s (don't get me wrong, I love ET), and unadventurous in the 2000s+. Also I usually don't like Spielberg these days because he's not at all subtle and he has plot holes and leaves narrative messes everywhere (let's save this for another day).
Duel was perhaps the first 'scary' movie I ever remember seeing as a kid. I watched it with Mum & Dad and I'm amazed that I didn't get bored as it's quite slow at times (mind you I can tolerate moderate paces now), however when it turns up the pressure its a relentless thrill ride. I watched it again tonight and found it gripping for the most part. So, it retains top spot ahead of all the dross like The Terminal, Jurassic Park 2, and Ready Player One...
1 out of 1 members found this review helpful.
Tedious duel - Duel review by CP Customer
Idea was good but very slow to develop. And almost too minimalist. No doubt the finale was good but I couldn't sit through the whole film just to get to that.
0 out of 4 members found this review helpful.