DUEL

DUEL

"Duel" - B+

Steven Spielberg's second film. Small cast, simple story, in many ways a must see for any wannabe director. I've wanted to see this film since I was a freshman in college and 11 years later, I finally got around to seeing it. 

It did not disappoint. Speilberg did an excellent job with visuals in this film and the acting out of Dennis Weaver was rather good. I appreciated the way the film was able to use ambiguity effectively and correctly. So many film makers before and since have treated ambiguity as an excuse not to answer questions. That is not the point or the purpose of ambiguity. The point is to use it, so that it creates a realm of possibilities within the mind our your audience, not simply to think "What in the.....??"

I particularly appreciated the scene in the diner when David's trying to figure out which of the men is the driver. It was very well done, both from an acting standpoint and a directorial standpoint.

To add to the ambiguity of the film and how it adds to the strength of the overall movie I'm left questioning two things. Why did the truck driver help the school children? Why didn't he kill David when he had the chance?

Only two complaints about the film. Some sequences went on for too long. They dragged on for way too long. The musical score didn't always fit with the action that was being portrayed on film.

Other than that though fun, fast paced film.