Category: continuity

Duel: An Intense Scene – Continuity Edits and Scene Build

, , ,
Tiffany Duran

In this scene, Steven Spielberg uses many continuity edits to build the scene and create tension.
The beginning of the scene uses the 180-degree rule by staying on the left side of the subjects with the subject’s facing camera left as they are driving. The scene uses longer cuts to create a feeling of uncertainty about the truck drivers next moves.
One shot reverse shot is used for the dialogue between David and the gas attendant before he moves on to the phone booth to call the police. An insert shot shows David’s surroundings while he’s in the booth which gives a sense of vulnerability.
Cross cutting is used to start building tension by showing the action of David calling the police while the truck driver makes his way towards David. Shorter and more rapid cut scenes are then used which starts to build tension.
During a shot of David on the phone, audio from the last scene of the truck is continued to be used to imply that the truck is approaching David which adds suspense.
Match on action shots are used to show the action taking place when the truck runs over the telephone pole and the animal tanks. Insert shots are used to show the dangerous animals now surrounding David which adds to the chaos of the scene, as well as the sad reaction from the gas attendee. More match on action shots are used to show David trying to deter the driver by throwing a tank at him, and then David making his way to his car.

Week 3 Blog Post:

,
Caleb

Hi everyone,

I chose to look at this clip from Duel.

This was one of the first scenes where the audience truly gauged just how insane the truck driver was. The tension begins with a continuous shot of both the truck and car for about 20 seconds. It’s a long shot for all those seconds until the camera cuts to a close up of David, which gives the viewer the sense he’s going to do something, and indeed he does by pulling off to the gas station.

We see an example of a reverse shot between David and the attendant where the camera goes from  a close up of David looking right, to a close up of the attendant looking left, then returning to David. This shows the audience a grand sense of space, being the whole gas station and particularly the conversation between the two characters, while the truck looms ominously in the foreground. A technique not mentioned is the depth of field transitions between David and the truck when David turns to look at it. The camera matches this action in a single shot to show the audience a focus on things going on within the frame.

As David enters the phone booth, the camera cuts multiple times to the truck and back to David as each shot shows the truck moving closer to David. A match-on-action appears when the truck transitions into David’s series of shots as it collides into the phone booth. A cut happens to show David’s realization the truck is heading right for him.

Sound plays a major part in this film, especially for the truck. The horn, the diesel engine and rattling metal add to the suspense brought upon each scene. It’s cleverly used to build suspense, slowing increasing the volume of the engine as the truck approaches the phone booth, and alleviates suspense too when the truck stops moving. Undoubtedly a unique use of cinematography and sound to create a tension-filled experience for the audience.

Thanks for reading!

-Caleb