The screenplay was written by Richard Matheson , adapting his own short story based on a real-life road rage incident he experienced in 1963. π οΈ Key Themes & Elements
David Mann ( Dennis Weaver ), a mild-mannered salesman, is driving across the California desert for a business meeting. Duel (1971)
The film's plot is stripped down to its barest essentials: a literal and psychological "duel" on the open highway. The screenplay was written by Richard Matheson ,