Die Hard (1988)
Directed by John McTiernan
Written by Jeb Stuart, Steven E. de Souza, & Roderick Thorp

In the wake of two vastly inferior sequels and a cottage industry of wisecrackin'-regular-guy-turned-crimefightin'-superhero action flicks made since, it's easy to forget just how fuckin' good the original Die Hard is. It took the bombastic one-white-man-against-the-world rage of Rambo and infused it with a self-deprecating sense of humor, resulting in what still stands as the perfect crystallization of the action-comedy genre.

Here, Bruce Willis's smirk was still fresh, and in the context of his character's situation, totally relevant. Alan Rickman was scary, crafty, and witty as the main villain, in top-form with a performance he'd retread into cliché with subsequent films. The catchphrase-packed script is well-crafted, yet also layered with some real emotion, its plot given higher stakes by a grounded humanity without which the film would simply be a collection of explosive set-pieces. Though the set-pieces are executed to such a high thrill factor that one could argue that Die Hard would be fine without the emotion.

It's a film that will be iconic forever, with lead character—John McClane—as unforgettable as Harry Callahan, Indiana Jones, James Bond, or any other classic action star you can name. John McClane is grace-under-pressure first and foremost, rather than simple ballsy loose-cannon antics a la Beverly Hills Cop or Lethal Weapon. We care about him because he cares about his family, and that's what drives him to take the risks he does. His life is on the line—iterally—for his own little corner of the world. We all want to be that passionate and brave.

Even the supporting turns are terrific—Reginald VelJohnson as the hapless desk sergeant who stumbles into the events and brings compassion to the murkiness of it all, and Alexander Godonov as Rickman's cold-blooded, yet hot-tempered terrorist henchman. And even post-Al Qaeda, I still say that Germans make the best terrorists.

Actually, watching Die Hard now that we've seen real-world catastrophes that far outstrip the comparatively minor overtaking of a single corporate building with 30 hostages, it's amazing that the movie doesn't come off as impossibly dated and naïve. And though McClane carries a gun on an airplane, and smokes in an airport, and the FBI doesn't seem to take the terrorist threat seriously, these elements only capture a spirit that's since been torn down—that is, that the white-hatted cowboys always win. Given that the less sympathetic characters in Die Hard are not the terrorists, but rather the gung-ho FBI guys, self-glorifying LAPD go-getters, and soulless, coke-sniffing corporate drones, this movie still seems like it has the lines drawn in the right places.

One thing I noticed watching it recently is a troublesome anti-feminist tone: that is, the real villain of the story is not Rickman (who merely represents greed), but Bonnie Bedelia as McClane's ambitious career-woman wife. She's even forsaken her married name in favor of pursuing the ultimately selfish act of proving herself in the working world! The entire movie is a giant parable about a man struggling with his rage at the havoc his wife's choice has brought into his formerly chaos-free life.

This theme gets a bit hard to peg later on—McClane, at the climax of the film, apologizes for his past behavior and his insensitivity, though in the end, after being literally held hostage by Greed, she abdicates her maiden name and subjugates herself to her husband. What's the message, exactly? I don't know … but it's as complicated as it is in real life. Women should work, sure, but men are entitled to their anger.

At any rate, if you're looking to a big, fiery action movie for flag-waving feminism, perhaps you ought to go read something instead. None of this dilutes the impact of Die Hard as an action film, or for that matter, as a film.

When I bought Die Hard on DVD, my better half was puzzled, as it doesn't fit the general profile of movies I love. Her first question: "Why did you get that?" After watching it, though, she was sold … as for her forgiving my serial philandering, though, that's another story.

Review by La Fée