Review of Duel (Collector`s Edition)

Introduction

Duel is more famously known as Steven Spielberg`s feature debut as a director, and what better way to start than with a classic story of a man in peril? This DVD release has been a long time coming and often delayed for one reason or another. Some copies even got through the last time it was released before being hastily withdrawn. So here it finally is as a special edition and without people having to bid silly money on auction sites for.

It was originally an idea for television but every station that writer Richard Matheson went to turned it down. He eventually wrote a short story out of it and had in published in Playboy where it was seen and optioned by Universal for a `Movie of the Weekend`. Up to the plate was a young man that no one was interested in, except Universal which had him under contract. Off he went to direct this `man gets chased by a truck` film.

Video

This comes with the original 1.33:1 fullframe video transfer and after 30 odd years, with a touch of re-mastering, it looks very good. Colours are well produced, detail is good too and though the transfer might look a touch soft in some scenes, it`s very sharp everywhere else. Grain and dirt are kept to a minimum and I couldn`t spot any signs of other trouble.

Audio

There are three soundtracks to choose from: Dolby Digital Mono (the original soundtrack) plus Dolby Digital (448 Kbps)& DTS (768 Kbps) 5.1 tracks too. The mono track, while being the real deal, is flat in comparison to the newly created 5.1 sound. If you want to remain authentic however, listen with it on and you may find it doesn`t deliver the goods. Now, normally I`m a bit sceptical when it comes to remixing mono soundtracks into 5.1, but I have to say that it performs well here. Regardless of whether you pick DD or DTS, you`ll find sound that really adds to the excitement of the film. When the truck is in view, you can feel the rumble in the LFE and it sounds very satisfying. The dialogue comes clearly from the centre channel while the surrounds add ambience and never distract from the screen. The front speakers are where the sound is focused and the film has never sounded better.

Features

Duel has easy to navigate static menus with a small selection of extras:

• A Conversation with Director Steven Spielberg (35:42) - This is up-to-date, circa 2001, and is interesting. Spielberg talks about his early career and his first TV film quite extensively. I thought this was enjoyable to watch and failing an audio commentary, this is as good as it gets.

• Steven Spielberg and the small screen (9:28) - This covers a lot of Spielberg`s early television work, directing things like Columbo, The Psychiatrist and Night Gallery, amongst other things.

• Richard Matheson: The Writing of Duel (9:24) - This is the last thing that Matheson wrote and here he talks about his inspiration for the story and the film. Very interesting, if a little short.

• Photograph and Poster Gallery - Lots of production stills and posters, just as it says.

• Trailer (1:01) - This is a good 70s trailer and makes the film look more like a horror film than a thriller/drama!

• Cast and Filmmakers (text) - Up-to-date bios/filmographies on the cast and crew.

• Production Notes (text) - Four pages of simple text about the film, nothing new once you`ve seen/read the other extras.

This isn`t a bad collection of extras. The DVD comes with clear easy to read English, French and Spanish subtitles. For a limited time, Duel has a nice cardboard outer sleeve wrapping the DVD keep case.

Conclusion

This film is without doubt a firm favourite. I remember seeing it on TV all those years ago and only having a worn VHS copy to keep. I`ve been waiting for this on DVD as I refuse to watch VHS these days, and I have to say that this Special Edition DVD doesn`t disappoint me. This road rage story with it`s wonderfully effective score/sound is still as tense to watch now as it has always been; more so now that there`s 5.1 sound to enhance the whole affair.

One of the appealing things about the film for me is that the story is simple, and features one man pitted against a relentless lorry. The way that Dennis Weaver has to deal with the problem and finally overcome this seemingly insurmountable problem is something that he expresses well with his performance. He gives it a lot of energy and this adds to the feeling of anxiety and stress. By not revealing anything about his antagonist, the film keeps the suspense ticking over leaving with Weaver quite a task on his shoulders in keeping us hooked. Even though the outcome is known, it`s still a riveting piece of entertainment and one worthy of having in a collection.

Spielberg`s directing is effective and the editing is masterful; the whole film has good sense of pace and rhythm, it`s a great example of suspenseful filmmaking and is very well crafted. Very good video and sound coupled with quality extras makes this DVD a must have for those who, like me, thoroughly enjoy a good story of suspense. Crank up those speakers and get ready for man in peril!