Tuesday 21 July 2015

I've Just Seen: Die Hard (1988)

Die Hard (1988)

https://www.movieposter.com/posters/archive/main/3/A70-1739
Director: John Moore
Writers: Steven E. de Souza, Jeb Stuart, from Roderick Thorp's novel Nothing Lasts Forever

I love a good action movie, and had had Die Hard on my 'To See' list for some time. It was finally shown on TV in Oz a few weeks ago (despite it not being Christmas). I watched with my occasional viewing companion (my sister). We both thoroughly enjoyed this film, my sister saying she liked it better than Jaws (I can't spilt them, they are both fantastic).

There are so many elements that make this such a great movie. The music is wonderfully discordant with the action; the villian is one of the best in cinema history, played to perfection by Alan Rickman; Bruce Willis' character is there and roaming around purely because of chance, bold move to have in story; he is also a reluctant hero, a man who really just wants to go home and not save the world. Another aspect that may not get talked about as much is the production design; the unfinished office tower, with its exposed wires and vast amounts of glass is a stroke of genius.

All in all, this is one of the best action films ever made: there I said it. While watching it I was reminded of The Towering Infero, another movie set high in the sky. Though both are very good, this is better: it is purer in its storytelling, and much funnier, and humour counts for a lot with me. Go, watch, you have no excuse.

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