Why Is Die Hard a Classic?
I was watching the Transformers movie from last summer the other night and it reminded me of what makes the original Die Hard so special. The modern day big budget action film has devolved into a CGI bender that emphasizes visual spectacle over all else. It's the cinematic equivalent of a fireworks display; pretty while you watch and it completely forgettable after it's over. Transformers is a great example of this: it's all special effects and no heart. What really set Die Hard apart was the care taken to develop its characters and their relationships. As played by Bruce Willis (I think we forget what a revelation he was in the role), John McClain is an action hero that shows fear and real vulnerability. He was a real contrast to the indestructible action stars of the 80s. You could relate to McClain. When he is about to jump off the top of the Nakatomi Building McClain says "Please, God, don't let me die" and we are right there with him, also wanting to see this man live and prevail. The films also creates great relationships with the other characters. McClain's relationship with Al Powell is the heart and soul of the movie. McClain's relationship with Holly drives the story. And McClain's cat and mouse game with Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman turns in what is surely one of the great screen bad guys of all time) gives the movie's central conflict greater depth. Amazingly, most of these relationships occur over walkie talkie, the actors are not even sharing the screen. Die Hard isn't a classic because it has impressive explosions. Yes the actions scenes are well executed, but if you don't care what happens to the people on screen the explosions are just noise. Die Hard is a classic because it has heart. A lot of heart.
Watch me discuss Die Hard on Cinemania tonight at 8 PM | 7 C on AMC
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Don't think it is or should be. 3 stooges are too..
I think sometimes the definition of classic changes from generation. But will this movie remain in our lexicon? Will images from it remain iconic? Will everyone always associate Yippie-Kay-Yay-Mother-F******* with Die Hard? Absolutely. And that's worth something.
Die Hard is the perfect action movie, from start to finish. Seriously. I think there are very few perfect scripts out there, and Die Hard is one of them... Not a moment is wasted. Watching the movie a second time, you see how every element of the film is set up efficiently in the first ten minutes, from the characters, to the set pieces; everything that happens or is said plays a part. I think the movie sometimes gets lost, in that there's been hundreds of derivative movies since Die Hard came out. But not only is it the original, but it holds up better than probably any other action movie that came out at the same time, and a bunch afterwards.
Totally agreed Alex. And I think action movies today could learn a thing or two from what you just said about Die Hard having a perfect script.
There's more to action movies than trying to squeeze as many explosions and FX into two hours as possible. There's an art to action movies, and it begins at the writing level. The same might be said, incidentally, for science fiction **coughgeorgelucascough**
Not only is Die Hard a thoroughly enjoyable film from start to finish, it's also not intellectually pandering. Live Free or Die Hard, on the other hand, well...