Rob Price
Through the years there have been several films that have pitted man against machines and specifically vehicles. In this week’s exploration of movies made specifically for television, we will examine two such films, Duel and KillDozer. Both these films have a common thread of man at odds against a very large machine, but their story and treatment of the subject matter could not be more different, and each has their place within the entertainment spectrum.
Duel (1971): David Mann (Dennis Weaver) is a middle-aged businessman driving through central California on his way to a client to secure a deal. His life suddenly changes when he decides to pass an old semi-truck that was going a bit too slow. For unknown reasons, the truck driver begins to torment and toy with David along the miles of highway and begins a duel to the death, as this mild-mannered man’s mental state starts to fray, he must learn to pull himself together and use his wits to outsmart the brawn of the bully truck that is now attempting to kill him. Can David survive this relatively unprovoked attack on his very being? Watch and find out!
Thought of as one of the best television movies ever made, Duel is a masterful work of art on so many levels. Originally airing on the ABC Movie of the Week on November, 20th, 1971, its popularity prompted additional scenes to be filmed and a theatrical release. Written by the great Richard Matheson and based on his own short story of the same name and expertly directed by Steven Spielberg, this film is a culmination of so many wonderful elements. Dennis Weaver’s portrayal of Mann is masterful, with the stress of the situation causing him to begin to crack, but the performance isn’t over-the-top, but instead nuanced, with most of the spoken dialogue consisting of a voice over letting the audience in on his inner thoughts. The story is wonderfully articulated and yet simplistic in nature, but with deep understanding in the fear of the unknown. Matheson’s script made it clear that the truck driver should be mostly unseen making the truck the real adversary and not the man. Spielberg’s direction is amazing, everything from the use of sound to its very absence heightens the tension and terror throughout the film. The camera work, angles and framing of every scene is beautifully done and the use of color and light pulls everything together. It truly is a masterful piece of film making history.
In the extended version that was used for theatrical release, additional scenes were shot to lengthen the film, but it also added a new dimension to the film as well. The new scenes added allowed the audience to understand Mann’s character a bit further and giving insight into what I feel the movie was really all about. Mann, is not very manly and almost every scene added goes into showing that he does not fit into the gender normative stereotypes. Nearly every physical confrontation or encounter he has within the film exemplifies that he is not physically strong, he didn’t fight for his wife’s honor at a party the night before, he loses a fist fight, and his car isn’t strong enough to help push start a bus. It is almost like the real duel isn’t with the truck at all, but about his two inner personalities fighting it out, and it isn’t until Mann accepts that he is more cerebral than physical that he is able to overcome his adversary. This was my interpretation which struck me so very profoundly while watching it. There are other interpretations as well, which are just as profound and valid.
Killdozer (1974): A meteorite crashes to Earth on a remote island off the coast of Africa. Many years later an American construction crew consisting of six men preparing the island for an oil drilling company accidentally unburies it. When a bulldozer’s blade touches the rock, a blue flash transfers an entity into the machine and also fatally injures Mack (Robert Urich) a young worker who with his dying breath warns the foreman, Kelly (Clint Walker) of what he saw right before he sustained his injuries. Kelly doesn’t believe that anything other than a freak accident has occurred, but he would soon change his mind, as the bulldozer begins to run rampant on its own. Killing off the remaining construction workers one by one. When there are only two men left, they finally realize that they can’t kill a machine, but they have to figure out how to kill what is controlling it. Can Kelly and his remaining crew survive or will they become “Killdozer” chow? Watch and find out!
This is just a fun movie without the thematic complexity of the earlier film. It is more along the lines of a slasher flick, but this time the killer is a giant machine. The performances are all well done with a somewhat accomplished cast of actors. The camera work on the film was also nicely done, with some wonderful visuals. The special effects were minimal and nearly everything you see is practical, making it feel a bit more real. The downside to the movie is the outlandishness of a killer bulldozer and that it really wasn’t that scary. I mean, they are relatively slow moving and awkward and some of the shots did make it look corny. But overall, it was a mindless piece of fluff that was still fun to watch, with some good directing and acting.
Since the industrial revolution, “man against machine” has been an oft done theme in literature and other forms of entertainment. As technology has advanced the stories about the human condition and its place in a mechanized world have also advanced. These are but two in a multitude of films based on this theme.