TSJ Reflects on an Interesting Character Choice in Die Hard
It’s no secret that I consider Die Hard the greatest Christmas movie ever made. I also feel it’s one of the best action movies, and also one-third of one of the greatest trifectas ever made by a film director.
Die Hard isn’t just an incredible action film. It’s also a great study in character. In fact, it’s one of those “character-driven action films” that are so rare nowadays. It seems that this sub genre in action movies has nearly disappeared altogether. Action movies today seem to be strictly effects, fighting, explosions, and so on — very shallow or “one note.” However, years ago, there was a level of character development and backstory that not only provided a solid foundation for the films, but they also brought an element of heart and emotion to the narrative.
This one scene in Die Hard intrigues me, and I wanted to bring it to your attention:
McClane has just arrived in Los Angeles. He’s at the Nakatomi Tower and is cleaning up in the restroom in Holly’s office. He and his wife are now separated and living apart after she made the decision to follow her career and move to California. But John has been slow to embrace her dreams and has excuses for why he can’t leave NYC. The argument starts small and quickly escalates. It’s clear they have been over this territory again and again; it’s nothing new. Then, as Holly leaves, McClane bangs his head against the door frame. Here it is in the video from YouTube (the video should start at the exact part I’m referring to):
Now, why do I find this small scene so important to the character/narrative?
It turns out, after watching some commentary and interviews about the film, that the office argument was shot early on, but didn’t include this short piece. In fact, this was actually shot later in the film — much later. Originally, director John McTiernan and Bruce Willis filmed the scene as a straight argument. Holly leaves the room, the terrorists enter the party via the elevator, and all hell breaks loose. Gunfire erupts … John runs up the stairs, barefoot … you know the rest.
But weeks later in filming, the crew returned to that set to film the head-against-the-door-jamb scene.
Why?
Elevate the Character Elements, Elevate the Film
Apparently, it took a while for Bruce Willis to figure out this character. They had filmed for many weeks, at night after the real office workers had left the Fox building (they really did film in the building during construction, but many floors were actually finished and already in use at the time by Fox employees). At first Willis played the character as a tough cop: stubborn, opinionated, oppositional … an Alpha Male, basically. But later, still during filming, he realized that John McClane was actually (partly) a screw-up. He’s made some bad decisions, and he’s had a hard time coming to that realization. This is something I’m sure we can all identify with. In his heart, McClane knows that he wants to reconnect with his family. When Bruce Willis realized this about his character — that deep down, John knows family is more important than ego, and there’s no room to be selfish when you have made a commitment — he and director McTiernan decided to go back and film that simple little bit. John bangs his head again and again against the wall, but it isn’t to say, “This argument is driving me crazy. I’m not getting my point across.” Rather, he’s saying, “I’m so damn stupid. An idiot. I have this incredible person in my life and I’m letting her go because of arrogance. Because of my ego. I need to grow up.”
Of course, all hell breaks loose after that, and during the next two hours, he finally realizes that’s what he has to do … and get this: he’s known it all along. He just needed Hans and the situation at Nakatomi on Christmas 1988 to teach him.
This is why the character elements elevate this film.
There are so many of them, too. One of the most important is Sgt. Al Powell’s story and his redemption at the film’s conclusion. (I wrote about this already, here.) And here’s another little one: Think about the two brothers in the movie — the German terrorists — and how they act around each other. The cutting of the telephone lines, which becomes a prank between siblings, and then later how one responds to the other’s death.
It’s not just action that makes Die Hard great, and this is one of the reasons it’s the best Christmas movie of all time.
Check out my extensive essay detailing more than thirty pieces of evidence organized by theme explaining this fact:
And check out my Christmas Viewing List here:
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone.
— TSJ, 16 December 2024
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A Blanket of Steel from Timothy S. Johnston and Fitzhenry & Whiteside, Ltd.
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A mysterious assassin has murdered Cliff Sim, Chief Security Officer of the underwater colony, Trieste. Cliff was a mountain of a man, highly trained, and impossible to defeat in combat. And yet …
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The other books in The Rise of Oceania series by Timothy S Johnston:
The War Beneath 9781771484718
The Savage Deeps 9781771485067
Fatal Depth 9781554555574
An Island of Light 9781554555819
The Shadow of War 9781554556007
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THE WAR BENEATH: FIRST PLACE 2018 GLOBAL THRILLER Action / Adventure Category Winner, 2019 Silver Falchion Award Finalist, 2018 CLUE Award Semi-Finalist, 2019 Kindle Book Awards Semi-Finalist, & 2019 CYGNUS Award Shortlister
THE SAVAGE DEEPS: FIRST PLACE 2020 CYGNUS Award Winner, 2019 GLOBAL THRILLER Awards Finalist, 2022 Kindle Book Awards Semi-Finalist; 2019 CLUE Award Shortlister
FATAL DEPTH: FIRST PLACE 2021 GLOBAL THRILLER Award Winner, 2022 Silver Falchion Award Finalist (Best Action Adventure), 2021 CYGNUS Award Semi-Finalist
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