John McTiernan
Die Hard - Trappola Di Cristallo

John McClane is an Irish New York cop, disillusioned and with a subtle irony. He is struggling with his wife, who works for a Japanese company (Nakatomi corp.) in Los Angeles. It seems that things are getting worse and worse, but distance strengthens love, so when he is invited to a Christmas Eve party in the immense Nakatomi skyscraper, McClane sees an opportunity for reconciliation. Until, with the aim of extortion, a European gang silently invades the skyscraper, taking the prestigious guests hostage. John McClane narrowly escapes capture and finds himself at the center of a labyrinth, a hellish trap against the terrorists, alone against everyone (and without shoes and socks). He fights his battle against the terrorists by spreading dead bodies around at will, behaving like a threatening shadow, a spoilsport ghost, "a pain in the ass."

Here's an action film (the forerunner of many works inspired by it) where characters and plot are more valuable than the well-crafted special effects. The labyrinth of the building (not even fully finished) is a perfect location to set tension and suspense, transforming predators into prey and vice versa many times over. Add to this truly talented actors. First and foremost, the relentless theater actor Alan Rickman, with his particularly distinctive voice, in the role of the German head of the terrorists (among whom is also an Italian). Another fundamental character and true accelerator of the story is the sarcastic and acerbic McClane, played by the then (1988) semi-unknown Bruce Willis (when he still had hair). He is great with his wicked lines, full of swear words. The confrontation between the head of the terrorists (aka Hans Gruber) and officer McClane over the radio is particularly interesting (obviously McClane, to get it, killed another terrorist), centered on Gruber's disdain for Yankees who watch too many western movies and TV shows. John McClane, on the other hand, can distinguish a European by their cigarettes.

The set design (by Jackson DeGovia) is beautiful, blending typical rustic Japanese elements with the modern glass and metal structures of the Nakatomi building. The "Die Hard" team was the same as the one that gave life to "Predator" in 1987. The building used for the exteriors was the "Fox Plaza," a real 34-story building in Los Angeles. The weapons are undoubtedly crucial in the film, the only means of survival in the crystal trap. Bruce Willis wields a Beretta 92 (an unusual choice for a New York cop), while the terrorists used 9mm H&K MP5 semi-automatics (standard for the FBI). Special weapons for Hans Gruber too, armed with an H&K P-7 M13 and a Walker PPK. You can also see Steyr Aug assault rifles and various C4 explosives, which play a starring role in the special effects scenes, like the explosion in the elevator shaft (actually a miniature shaft, with Willis filmed later against a blue screen) and the terrace on the top floor. Other important characters are the ruthless terrorist Karl, thirsty for revenge for his brother's killing (guess by whom?); and then there's the police we shouldn't overlook, which at some point becomes part of the scene (although the cops' actions will be almost nil, given the terrorists' technological superiority). Indeed, the only cop that really matters for the story is the black sergeant Al Powell, the one who managed to sound the alarm. He turns out to be, as events progress, McClane's only true ally outside the building and a sympathetic friend in difficult times, despite the two never having seen each other.

As expected, good always wins in the end, only the way McClane wins is anything but predictable. After having killed all twelve terrorists one by one, he finally saves his better half from Hans Gruber's clutches and sends him on a one-way flight (the expression Rickman uses when falling is real because he was dropped without warning: underneath him were only blue mats, later replaced by a totally different background). So it's love again between John and his wife, never so anguished for each other in one day. And the next day is Christmas. This concludes an odyssey that makes two hours pass really well, without boring or tiring. The pace is maintained from start to finish, with many comedic moments (McClane in a fight: "I'll kill you, then I'll cook you, and then I'll eat you") and good suspense. A positive note goes to the music, fully symphonic and tailor-made, which fits well into the context and is easily memorable and traceable to precise scenes (it is still a classic of soundtracks), composed by Michael Kamen. A positive note also goes to the editing, dynamic and engaging.

The film (based on the novel "Nothing Lasts Forever" by Roderick Thorpe) received four Academy Award nominations: visual effects, editing, sound, editing, editing of visual effects. It grossed 80 million dollars and set a new standard for action and escape cinema.