Steven Spielberg vs. a Truck | Duel Explained | Movie of the Year

Описание: Before Jaws. Before Close Encounters. Before Steven Spielberg became synonymous with spectacle—there was Duel.
This week on Movie of the Year: 1971, Ryan, Greg, and Mike hit the open road to break down Duel, the made-for-TV movie that announced Spielberg as a filmmaker with absolute command of suspense. What starts as a simple premise—a man pursued by a truck—quickly becomes a relentless psychological thriller about fear, pride, masculinity, and survival.
Though produced for television, Duel feels unmistakably cinematic. We dig into Spielberg’s early mastery of visual storytelling, how tension is built through motion rather than dialogue, and why the film plays like a blueprint for everything he would do later—from Jaws to War of the Worlds. This is Spielberg discovering his voice in real time.
We’re joined by special guest Eric Vespe, veteran film journalist and co-host of The Spiel, who brings deep insight into Spielberg’s early career, the evolution of the TV movie, and why Duel transcended its format to become one of the most influential thrillers of the 1970s.
Topics include:
How Duel defines Spielberg’s cinematic instincts
-Masculinity, pride, and Dennis Weaver’s unraveling performance
-America as an empty, hostile landscape
-The truck as a faceless, mechanical antagonist
-Why this film still feels terrifying over 50 years later
If you love suspense filmmaking, early Spielberg, or movies that do everything with almost nothing—this episode is essential listening.
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