The Greatest Movie Ever Made

Die Hard, the 1988 action thriller starring Bruce Willis as New York City Cop John Mcclane, IS the greatest movie ever made. It's not the smartest, best written or greatest award winner ever. But it is my favorite movie ever. So, after seeing this masterpiece again, slightly over 20 years from when I first saw it in February 1989, let me see if I can explain why.

From the outset, there's several recognisable, often told tales in the general plot. First off, it's a hostage drama...the kind of which I was always drawn to in UK cop shows, whether it be The Sweeney, The Professionals or Dempsey & Makepiece. It's such a great premise; if the bad guys are holed up with a gun to a hostages head, how the hell does the good guy rescue them safely?
We follow the terrorists point of view quite closely in Die Hard, as they are besieged by the outside LA Police force. I've loved siege movies ever since I got into John Carpenter movies.
Then there's the fact it's a caper movie. Like The Italian Job, The Sting or The Great Escape, the characters are trying to pull of a cunning plan...the details of which will slowly be revealed to us, the audience, as the movie progresses to showcase how darn smart the characters are. So it is here with Hans Gruber and his crew.

The other reasons are in the way it was made. There's the old saying...it's not what you do, it's the way that you do it. That goes for film making and story telling too. Lots of siege movies have been told. Many a caper yarn has been spun. But if you do it with enough originality and enough style, you can create a new and exciting siege and caper movie.

Part of that freshness is bringing hit TV actor, and wannabe moviestar Bruce Willis onboard as reluctant hero John McClane. I was already sold on Willis' tough but irreverant persona due to my love of the 80's show Moonlighting. However by becoming butched up and taking himself seriously in an identifiable, blue-collar worker, everyman role he redefined movie action heroes forever. Looking back at him here, Willis is young and baby faced...the bare-foot, vest-wearing, receeding hairline combination image is now a firmly established movie icon.

But the main ingredient is director, John McTiernan, here delivering his best work. After scoring major points with 1987's Predator, producer Joel Silver smartly nabbed McTiernan again. For what is basically a cops n robbers shhot-em-up, McTiernan give the movie a exhilataring sophistication that few film-makers achieve.

From the films opening scenes you can see his style in play. The main titles 'Die Hard' don't come crashing on screen with an deafening accompanying fireball but in a long shot, in small text with the subtle jingle of christmas bells. In fact, it's amazing how subtle and restrained much of the movie plays (which helps greater range of storytelling on show when the fireworks are delivered). Movement and dialogue is greatly minimised at times, such as when the terrorist take Nakatomi Tower. The terrorist quietly do there thing and when the baddies do arrive it's not with grenades an mortar shells...they just stealthfully slip out of the elevator.
such restraint in an action movie is to be admired.

McTiernan directoral style reminds me of Bourne director Paul Greengrass. In both their movies the action feels frenetic and realistic. Many mistake this for rapid editing (which is a mistake, as it makes for difficulty when trying to follow the sequence of events). Instead they use longer cuts, but keep moving the camera and reframe the action...like when McClane's under siege in the computer room. The camera moves from the exit to his face to the glass and his bare feet. Quantum Of Solace director Marc Forster would cut edit for each shot prompting the audience to think,"Was that an exit sign I just saw?!" It's suprising how slowly Die Hard is edited.

The camera style is part old-school movie making, part documentary style. Characters don't quite fit in the frame, often occupying the extreme right or left of the screen...just like if they'd been captured by a fly-on-the-wall film crew. This same feeling is produced as the camera reframes constantly as if the cameraman is attempting to capture what's really going on before him. The difference here is the camera isn't jerky like a hand-held or steady-cam...it's smooth and graceful in movement. The sophistication of the gliding camera is because it is on a dolly (a crane or support) giving the movie that classy, old-style look. That combination, of documentary and old-school class is McTiernan's visual strength.

Director of photography, Jan De Bont, is also at the top of his game here. Die Hard is it is subtle, pastel hues for the most part, except for small bursts of colour (Christmas lights / Police sirens) that stand out. It has a very modern, gleaming, metal and concrete sheen that still feels vibrant to this day. The backgrounds are reduced to soft focus blurs while key lights frequently create striking lens flares in the frame. The editing is rhythmic..instead of musical beats we get visual ones....the nod of a head, a glance, a signal or a gesture.

Producer Joel Silver's frequent musical collaborator, Michael Kamen, provides a great score. Few of Kamen's scores work apart from the images that they are supporting (Prince Of Thieves is an exception) and Die Hard is no exception. But like his partnership with Metallica on the S&M album, he is a master of providing unexpected and pleasing 'harmonies' to others work. Like the rest of his colleagues on the film, his work is underplayed and subdued...bur interweaves distinctive themes and melodies throughout. The decision to use Beethoven's 9th as the Terrorists theme as a masterstroke.

The groundwork for the story is laid effciently over the main titles as New York Cop John McClane is picked up from the airport while estranged wife Holly waits for him at the work party. Geography, locations, characters, relationships, important story points are all set up in the brief period before Mr & Mrs McClane meet. It also sets up the fish-out-of-water angle with McClane being out of his element in a strange town(L.A.), a strange environment (a corporate christmas party) and cut off from everybody. In this regard Die Hard is like a western; the solitary sheriff rides into town and defends the locals against the marauding gang. It wears the western influence on its sleeve; hence the Roy Rogers references. The story's urgency is enhanced as both hero and villains have clear objectives...plus there's a built in time element as McClane rushes to save everybody, before the plastic explosive is used.

The script has heart too. Al is a tragic figure that obtains redemption. Ellis is a coward, misguided by arrogance and drug-abuse. But the backbone of the movie is a man coming to terms withhis "idea of what his marraige should be".

Eventually, Alan Rickman (charming, menacing and poetic and elegant)and his Euro-trash thieves arrive to disrupt proceedings. The arrival is cinematic and exciting. One of the film's strengths is in it's pacing; it's all in the build up. It's less about the firefight and more about the storys built in tension...will McClane be captured? Will the terrorists discover Holly's relationship with John (that upturned photo looms over the entire movie)? Take the LAPD's attempt to storm the tower with the aid of an R.V. There's very little action involved...it's all soldiers moving into position and the terrorists running down corridors to counter. So when the action does arrive is hardcore, R-Rated brutally that hits much harder than without the set up.

A couple of things make Willis's McClane even more effective. Rickman is enigmatic as Gruber and you really feel this guy is a worthy opponant for McClane (I love the way the camera goes off-kilter as McClane and Gruber face-off at the movie's mid-point). Also, McClane's situation gets evermore desperate as the story progresses (even the police chief's against him) so when he does score the occasional victory, we share his success too. It's also great to have a determined, pro-active hero. So often in movies the villains move the story forward while the hero just reacts without trying to outwit them....until the end, when they're obligated to win.

As with ant great film, there's some memorable moments; Han's creepy, slow motion plummet...Argyal's obliviousness to the terrorit's activities...explosives in the lift shaft...Al's sad story...FBI agents Johnson and Johnson (no relation)...Karl's psychotic 'Fatel Attration', back-from-the-dead climactic moment....and the classic 50's song to close. And many, many, more.

The set pieces are truly exhilarating. By the time you get to the 'double-cross' on the roof...my brains are routinely 'blown out the back of my head' in an adrenaline fueled overload. All the action sequences are effective with each getting progresively more intense. But the combination of assualt weapons, helicopters, shouting...followed by the desperate fire-hose jump and smash into the side of the tower... It technically might not be the best constructed action sequence ever, but it is the most exciting.

So thats my Rob rave rant then. It's the mark of a great movie that you want to rewatch it immediately after you've finished viewing it. Die Hard certainly does that. But there's only a handful of movies that give you the ecstatic sensation of violent brain removal thanks to their stunning execution of action.