The protagonist, David Mann (played by Dennis Weaver), is a "lower middle-class American" insulated by suburban life. His name itself—Mann—suggests he represents the "Everyman". The film explores the "emasculated man" who has been tamed by modern society and must rediscover his primal survival instincts to defeat his mechanical adversary.
Steven Spielberg's Duel (1971) and the Road to Interpretation
The 1971 film , directed by a then 24-year-old Steven Spielberg, is often viewed as a masterclass in minimalist filmmaking. Originally an ABC "Movie of the Week," it launched Spielberg’s career by proving he could sustain feature-length tension with a remarkably simple premise: a man in a red Plymouth Valiant being hunted by a faceless, rusted tanker truck. The Industrial "Jaws"
Critics frequently call Duel a "proto-Jaws". Much like the shark, the truck is an unrelenting, predatory force whose driver is never fully shown. By keeping the antagonist faceless, Spielberg transforms a simple case of road rage into a nightmare about an unstoppable, irrational evil. The truck's roaring engine and hulking frame make it feel like a living, breathing beast rather than just a machine. Themes of Masculinity and Modernity