Insomniac Film Festival #11: Die Hard
Die Hard.
What more needs to be said?
Die Hard is the 1980s action movie that redefined 1980s action movies by changing the way they told their stories, presented their heroes and their villains and said, basically, that we can have great action films that feel sort of real.
Bruce Willis is John McClane, a New York cop in Los Angeles to see his estranged wife. He’s in her office building at her office Christmas party when it is taken over by terrorists, the party-goers taken hostage. McClane is the lone escapee, moving through the building, fighting the bad guys and trying to stay alive.
The Good...
Bruce Willis is great as John McClane, his signature role, bringing both depth and pathos to the character, without losing the bravado.
His repartee and radio relationship with Reginald VelJohnson’s Officer Al Powell is both touching and desperate, revealing how lonely and terrified he actually is.
Alan Rickman as Hans Gruber is brilliant. I can’t say how great he is as this cold-hearted, thoughtful, articulate villain. He is an incredible counterpoint to McClane’s desperate, in-over-his-head hero.
Bonnie Bedelia as Holly Gennaro McClane is a strong, female role in a male dominated genre where the women are usually relegated to eye candy.
The story is well told and the tension and action build beautifully. It’s just a great story and film. All the supporting characters, good guy and bad, all felt like real people.
Greatest catch phrase of all time!
The Not So Good...
I know William Atherton’s Richard Thornburg is supposed to be venal and annoying but he was too much of a part of this film.
Some of the 1980s benchmarks Aden very 1980s nowadays.
It’s just a really good movie, well worth the watch.
-all photos via IMDb.com.
Congratulations! This post has been upvoted from the communal account, @minnowsupport, by rvgenaille from the Minnow Support Project. It's a witness project run by aggroed, ausbitbank, teamsteem, theprophet0, someguy123, neoxian, followbtcnews, and netuoso. The goal is to help Steemit grow by supporting Minnows. Please find us at the Peace, Abundance, and Liberty Network (PALnet) Discord Channel. It's a completely public and open space to all members of the Steemit community who voluntarily choose to be there.
If you would like to delegate to the Minnow Support Project you can do so by clicking on the following links: 50SP, 100SP, 250SP, 500SP, 1000SP, 5000SP.
Be sure to leave at least 50SP undelegated on your account.