The Honeycut: Is Spielberg’s ‘Duel’ More Than a Killer Truck Movie?

The Open Road

Steven Spielberg’s directorial debut, “Duel” is often overlooked. Fans usually point to the iconic “Jaws” when they think of Spielberg’s time in horror. “Duel” is often forgotten, unjustly so. While this can appear like a killer truck movie on the surface, during my latest rewatch I wondered: is there something far more psychological going on below the surface? 

The Story

We follow David Mann, a stressed-out businessman. He is traveling through California’s Mojave Desert to meet an important client. Things go south when he passes an old tanker truck. From there, the unseen truck driver continues to terrorize David throughout the rest of his journey. 

Honey’s Cut

I’ve always liked “Duel.” From the believable premise of road rage, to the scarce dialogue, to Spielberg’s amazing directing, this one has always been a cult favorite of mine. 

Praise aside, let’s talk about why I think there is more going on with this movie than a guy trying to outrun a psycho trucker. My whole theory is going to be based on the idea that the truck isn’t real; it’s the manifestation of his stress and anxiety. 

Look at David’s mental state when the film begins. He’s a seemingly normal guy on his way to a business meeting. But early on, during a phone call with his wife, we find out they had a fight the night before. We also learn the client David is driving to meet, Forbes, is very important. From this, we can already conclude he is probably on edge. 

Throughout the movie, David comes off as more and more unhinged. We see this in the way characters react to him. When he asks for help, he keeps babbling about a truck until people drive away or tell him to get lost. In fact, there are some scenes where he asks if someone had seen the truck, and they act confused. One person even responds with, “What truck?” Another time he wrecks his car and people come to help him. They don’t ask about the truck running him off the road, they simply ask what happened, leading me to believe the truck was all in his head. 

I’m also willing to believe that in the beginning he did pass the tanker, and maybe there was an incident. But after that, he just kept seeing the truck as a result of his crumbling mental state. 

Here’s something else. Could the tanker be trying to warn him? We see it cutting him off, blowing its horn, and running him off the road. But it never tries to kill him until the end. Had the stresses of life become too much for David? Was he traveling into the desert to disappear and the truck was his mind’s way of stopping him? After all, it has plenty of chances to try and kill him, but never really tries until the final scene. 

Another factor that makes me think David is going out to the desert to end it: who is this client, Forbes? For this being an important meeting, David never calls Forbes to let him know he’s running late. Also, David is driving in one direction for most of the movie, which takes all day, even though he tells his wife he’ll be home by dinner. How far away was Forbes’ place? Or was his appointment not with a client, but with death?

Honey’s Final Thought 

I’ve seen “Duel” a few times now. It’s not really a movie that needs to be overanalyzed. It’s awesome at face value. I’m not sure why this time I started thinking of a more psychological horror element behind it. Maybe it’s because I’m getting older and have faced some of the similar life stresses David is dealing with. Or maybe since becoming an author I have more of an eye for deeper themes in a story. Or maybe it’s just about a guy who pisses off a trucker and gets hunted down for it. Who knows?