Duel (USA, 1971)

Director: Steven Spielberg

Cast: Dennis Weaver

The plot: Spielberg's directing debut. A travelling salesman and his 1970 Valiant are the innocent victims of a mad truck driver. The violence of the unprovoked attack escalates until the final scene where truck and car end up at the bottom of a desert cliff. Weaver escapes at the last second by jumping out of the car. The face of the driver and his motives remain a mystery.

Notes: Apart from getting hit from every angle, the car contributes to the plot by its lack of power, lack of air conditioning and dodgy radiator hose which eventually bursts at the worst possible moment...

The choice of car for the movie was principally dictated by the colour requirements: it had to be red to stand out and be recognisable in panoramic desert scenes.

Initially a TV film, addtional scenes were filmed for its screen release. Minor differences can be observed in the car used for these additional scenes.