New York City police detective John McClane flies to Los Angeles on Christmas Eve to reconcile with his estranged wife Holly, who has been climbing the corporate ladder at the Nakatomi Corporation. He arrives at Nakatomi Plaza just in time for the company Christmas party on the 30th floor, but the celebration is violently interrupted when a group of heavily armed men led by the charming yet ruthless Hans Gruber storm the building.
Gruber and his team, posing as terrorists, are actually sophisticated thieves after $640 million in bearer bonds locked inside the building’s vault. With the partygoers held hostage — including Holly — McClane manages to slip away unnoticed. Barefoot and armed only with his service pistol, he begins a one-man guerrilla war through the building’s corridors, ventilation shafts, and stairwells, picking off Gruber’s men one by one while trying to alert the outside world.
As the LAPD, FBI, and media converge outside, McClane communicates with Sergeant Al Powell via radio, forming an unlikely bond. With each floor bringing new dangers, booby traps, and explosive confrontations, McClane’s wisecracking determination and refusal to give up become the only thing standing between Gruber’s master plan and the lives of every hostage. Die Hard redefined what an action movie could be and set the template for an entire subgenre of confined-space thrillers.
Director & Cast
Director: John McTiernan — known for masterful control of tension and space, McTiernan also directed Predator and The Hunt for Red October.
Cast: Bruce Willis as John McClane, Alan Rickman as Hans Gruber, Bonnie Bedelia as Holly Gennero, Reginald VelJohnson as Sgt. Al Powell, Alexander Godunov as Karl, and Paul Gleason as Deputy Chief Robinson.
Behind the Scenes
Based on Roderick Thorp’s novel Nothing Lasts Forever, Die Hard turned Bruce Willis from a TV comedy star into one of the biggest action heroes in cinema. Alan Rickman’s portrayal of Hans Gruber is consistently ranked among the greatest movie villains of all time. The film was shot primarily in the Fox Plaza building in Century City, Los Angeles.
