There are films that are watershed moments for their genres, that forever alter the expectations for their successors. Star Wars set the bar for space opera, for instance, and Stagecoach defined the language of westerns in a way that would not significantly change until the rise of the spaghetti western in the 1960s. For action movies, the watershed moment came in 1988 with the release of Die Hard.
The story of Die Hard is that of a hostage situation in a Los Angeles Skyscraper. Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman) has a meticulously developed plan that seems airtight, except for the unexpected presence of a resourceful and stubborn New York cop, John McClane (Bruce Willis), who is there in an attempt to reconcile with his estranged wife at her company's Christmas party. Hans has to execute his plan while dealing with the outnumbered and outgunned McClane, who desperately works to stay alive while stopping Hans and rescuing his wife. It's a fairly simple premise, and certainly one that has probably had more innovative approaches, but rarely more meticulously executed. There is not a wasted scene in the film, a forgotten idea, or a dangling plot thread. Still, even the most meticulous execution would fail without the compelling dynamic between the three most important characters: McClane, Gruber, and the Nakatomi Building itself.
That's right, the actual setting is so developed and detailed that it, in and of itself, plays as important a role in the film as the hero and villain. Production Designer Jackson DeGovia outdoes himself with the detail on the Nakatomi building, from the reproduction of Frank Lloyd Wright's "Fallingwater" in the main lobby to the elaborately detailed Japanese-inspired conference room to even the areas still under construction that play a vital role in some of the film's key action scenes. The first scenes of the movie are largely devoted to introducing McClane, but at the same time they are giving us an idea of the Nakatomi Building and how it fits together, and we don't even realize it until the action kicks into gear. Even then, it's subconscious; the set design feels so natural that its importance goes largely unnoticed.
With a setting so full of personality, the two main characters, Hans and McClane, need to have presence and the script and actors work perfectly to provide this. Alan Rickman's performance as Hans is fantastic, perfectly toeing the line between theatrical and ham-fisted. He projects an air of menace and refinement, and you get the sense that he does this more because he finds it fun and challenging. The theatrical flourishes Rickman provides feel like a part of the character, instead of like the posturing of a comic book villain.
Hans also provides a perfect foil to McClane. Where Hans has planned out everything to the last detail, McClane is constantly struggling to figure out how to get out of his most recent situation. Where Hans is theatrical and ruthless, McClane is subdued and heroic. These characteristics, particularly with the contrast provided by Hans, make McClane the archetype for action heroes that all others have to follow: he's just a guy trying to do his best in a bad situation. Bruce Willis is just the man for the role, a guy who is tough and handsome, but not too tough and handsome to be real. His performance evokes McClane's desperation even when he's delivering your typical action movie bravado, and the effect makes him much more human than your regular action star. He even gets hurt, and stays hurt like a human being would, to the point where it's not entirely certain he'll survive the film's conclusion.
The story of Die Hard is that of a hostage situation in a Los Angeles Skyscraper. Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman) has a meticulously developed plan that seems airtight, except for the unexpected presence of a resourceful and stubborn New York cop, John McClane (Bruce Willis), who is there in an attempt to reconcile with his estranged wife at her company's Christmas party. Hans has to execute his plan while dealing with the outnumbered and outgunned McClane, who desperately works to stay alive while stopping Hans and rescuing his wife. It's a fairly simple premise, and certainly one that has probably had more innovative approaches, but rarely more meticulously executed. There is not a wasted scene in the film, a forgotten idea, or a dangling plot thread. Still, even the most meticulous execution would fail without the compelling dynamic between the three most important characters: McClane, Gruber, and the Nakatomi Building itself.
That's right, the actual setting is so developed and detailed that it, in and of itself, plays as important a role in the film as the hero and villain. Production Designer Jackson DeGovia outdoes himself with the detail on the Nakatomi building, from the reproduction of Frank Lloyd Wright's "Fallingwater" in the main lobby to the elaborately detailed Japanese-inspired conference room to even the areas still under construction that play a vital role in some of the film's key action scenes. The first scenes of the movie are largely devoted to introducing McClane, but at the same time they are giving us an idea of the Nakatomi Building and how it fits together, and we don't even realize it until the action kicks into gear. Even then, it's subconscious; the set design feels so natural that its importance goes largely unnoticed.
With a setting so full of personality, the two main characters, Hans and McClane, need to have presence and the script and actors work perfectly to provide this. Alan Rickman's performance as Hans is fantastic, perfectly toeing the line between theatrical and ham-fisted. He projects an air of menace and refinement, and you get the sense that he does this more because he finds it fun and challenging. The theatrical flourishes Rickman provides feel like a part of the character, instead of like the posturing of a comic book villain.
Hans also provides a perfect foil to McClane. Where Hans has planned out everything to the last detail, McClane is constantly struggling to figure out how to get out of his most recent situation. Where Hans is theatrical and ruthless, McClane is subdued and heroic. These characteristics, particularly with the contrast provided by Hans, make McClane the archetype for action heroes that all others have to follow: he's just a guy trying to do his best in a bad situation. Bruce Willis is just the man for the role, a guy who is tough and handsome, but not too tough and handsome to be real. His performance evokes McClane's desperation even when he's delivering your typical action movie bravado, and the effect makes him much more human than your regular action star. He even gets hurt, and stays hurt like a human being would, to the point where it's not entirely certain he'll survive the film's conclusion.
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