Question: Why does the fuel tanker truck not explode or burst into flames after it crashes down the mountainside?
Duel (1971)
1 question since 27 Dec '24, 04:47
Directed by: Steven Spielberg
Starring: Dennis Weaver, Eddie Firestone, Jacqueline Scott, Lou Frizzell
Continuity mistake: On the truck cab's rear window, there is some sort of air conditioning unit installed. In some shots, such as the gas station scene where David Mann is on the telephone, or the railroad crossing scene, the air conditioning unit has a support structure to hold it in place. In the rest of the film however, there is not any support structure to be seen.
David Mann: That truck driver's crazy, he's been trying to kill me, I mean it.
Bus Driver: Well, mister, if I was to vote on who's crazy around here, it'd be you.
Trivia: This film garnered so much critical praise that it was theatrically released in quite a few countries, though it was originally a made-for-TV-movie for NBC in 1972.
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Answer: Vehicles do not typically explode in collisions, even a fuel tanker, which may have been empty. Car and truck impact explosions are mostly an overused movie plot device. The Mythbusters covered this in a movie myths episode. Spielberg avoided a clichéd fiery ending, instead showing the truck's destruction with close-up interior shots and focusing on Mann's quiet reflection in the aftermath. Also, this was a low-budget, made-for-TV movie. Explosive special effects are expensive, dangerous, and do not always go as planned, requiring multiple takes.
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