DIE HARD: Looking Back On The Action Classic 30 Years Later

“Come out to the coast, we’ll get together, have a few laughs,” says John McClane mocking his wife. He’s rummaging through an air vent as terrorists have her, and several others, hostage on the 32nd floor. This line and its sarcastic delivery sums up the protagonist, with an “I told you so” tone the character has been waiting all night to flaunt. This scenario is from Die Hard, the 1988 action film directed by John McTiernan. On the surface, the film delivers a very straightforward premise, with a black and white conflict at the center of it all. In the decades since its release, Die Hard has solidified itself as a classic, but what makes it one of the greatest films of all time? Like every movie, there are three keys to constructing a satisfactory product. These keys are providing relatable characters, a compelling story, and genuine emotion. While turning cliche action tropes on their head, Die Hard is just one film that excels on every point of this criteria.

In order to start a story, a film requires characters. In the opening of the feature, McClane converses with his limo driver Argyle, establishing everything the audience needs to know about his humanity. It is from this one on one that the audience realizes that McClane is an everyman, one with a fluctuating marriage and a desire to be better. Right off the bat, screenwriters Jeb Stuart and Steven E. de Souza, show the audience a character that is grounded and relatable. This is a key to constructing someone audiences will root for during the protagonist’s conflict. Character work will make every punch hit harder, and every success feel satisfying. It is through John McClane’s humor and groundedness that the viewers can put themselves in his shoes. Because of the backstory established in this conversation, the viewer understands why McClane does not give up. He is a New York cop who regrets separating from his family, an empathetic protagonist. This makes the rich and calculated Hans Gruber, the film’s primary antagonist, a mere an obstacle in the way of McClane’s true intentions, fixing the relationship with his wife.

This opening scene leads to the catalyst. McClane is at his wife’s office Christmas party when terrorists take the workers by surprise. Their goal is to steal from a vault in Nakatomi Plaza. McClane stares at the exit door for a moment, but instead of leaving, decides to take them down using stealth tactics. At this point in the film, the inciting incident is already on the table. Screenwriters de Souza and Stuart have constructed a typical action film premise, but what makes Die Hard’s story stand out from the rest?

The premise of Die Hard itself is an engaging one, but it is one that has been used countless times - an underdog kills bad guys and saves the day. Anyone can create an action sequence and call it a conflict, but it is the unconventional approach to the action tropes that make McTiernan’s thriller unique. Die Hard takes place in one location, with a narrative structure built like a video game. John McClane has to take down the bad guys one by one, barefoot, in tight locations and office spaces. The protagonist constantly has to improvise and is relentlessly challenged by the antagonist. Hans Gruber is the anti-McClane, someone who sees himself above everyone else, a rich and privileged character whose goal is to secure even more wealth. It is with Gruber that Die Hard also becomes an elitist vs. everyman film. By this conflict the ordinary and humble protagonist taps into qualities that he did not believe were there, rising above danger to do what is right. It is also during the narrative that the arrogant antagonist is unveiled to be a common thief, clumsily making mistakes along the way. Their self-images from the start of the film to its resolution are polar opposites, providing a compelling dynamic that reveals the characters’ true selves. Die Hard is fundamentally more character driven than the modern action motion picture, relying more on development and arcs for the audience’s enjoyment.

The last key to creating an entertaining piece is catering to the viewer’s emotions. For different filmmakers this can mean several things. For example, a comedy’s aim is to make people laugh, just like how a horror film’s goal is to scare. The emotional core of Die Hard is its heart - the importance of family, and how far a person is willing to go for them. John only comes to California during Christmas to spend time with his kids, unfortunately ending up in the wrong place at the wrong time.  McClane is only human, and is constantly in danger. McTiernan makes the audience believe this. McClane ends up taking so many risks that the audience has no choice but to root for him to succeed. John spends the nearly the whole film barefoot. He is repeatedly walking on glass, getting beat up and going through windows. The scene in which John has to take shards out of his foot is a tough watch, but McClane keeps on going, even with a subtle limp. This presents how much he is willing to lose to save his wife, who had, in a dick move, already changed her last name back to Genero.  This provides for even more emotion when Gruber rests a firearm on her head as John watches.