“Mr. Takagi, I’m really not interested in your computer. But I need the code key because I am interested in the $640 million in negotiable bearer bonds that you have locked in your vault. And the computer controls the vault.”
-Alan Rickman as Hans Gruber
Is Die Hard a Christmas film? It’s an age-old debate. Just like those questions which philosopher’s and scientists have pondered for hundreds of years; this one may forever remain one of the great mysteries of life. It is, however, an indisputable truth that John McTiernan’s 1988 action blockbuster is a film about money.
The decision to focus the plot on a group of Euro bandits was a conscious choice which differs from the source material. Die Hard is based on the book Nothing Lasts Forever by Roderick Thorp, in which the antagonists’ goal is to destabilize an American oil company. In the novel, the villains attempt this by overtaking the corporations’ office headquarters, a 40-story building, and where the money is of little consequence. When adapting the written story for the big screen, the filmmakers smartly decided to depoliticize the subject matter of the novel by stripping away these motivations. Klaxon Oil was turned into the Nakatomi Corporation, whose line of work was never fully disclosed, and the terrorists were rewritten as a group of thieves after something we could all use a little more of. With the script written and production underway, the question then became; which leading man of the day would be cast as the star?
In 1988, Bruce Willis was best known for portraying David Addison on the ABC-produced series Moonlighting. Apart from the fact that David was a detective, Willis’ career leading up to Die Hard offered little to convince Fox studio heads that he was the perfect choice to bring New York City cop John McClane to life. No, if Hollywood’s latest theatrical release wanted any chance of being a success, it would require a known quantity, an action hero. A leading man who was handsome, charismatic, and exuded pure machismo. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, Clint Eastwood; these were the gold standards of the day. A tough as nails Adonis of a man who could barely be considered human at all and whom audiences could never hope to relate with; that’ll bring the crowds rolling in, right?
Right! Throughout the eighties, this was a key ingredient in the formula for producing a hit action film. It was a tried-and-true method that had proved itself time after time, resulting in countless movies which went on to become action tentpoles. Seriously, try Googling “1980s action movies” and you’ll be amazed just how many meet these criteria. The idea of choosing an everyman wasn’t something most studios were interested in. Therefore, it was truly seen as a risk when the decision was made to cast Willis. Nevertheless, Die Hard premiered in July 1988 and audiences were catapulted into a ride full of guns, violence, broken glass and 40 stories of sheer adventure.
Plot Summary
Hans Gruber is the leader of an elite group of assassins. Before the film begins, Hans and his team have concocted an intricate plan to steal $640 million in bearer bonds from the Nakatomi Plaza in Los Angeles. Hans and his comrades are successful in infiltrating the L.A. skyscraper and everything is going according to plan. But before Hans can pull off this heist, he’ll need to capture and silence the nameless man who assaulted one of the team members and stole his weapon and walkie talkie. Now armed with a machine gun (ho-ho-ho), the anonymous man taunts Hans, who must keep the hostages in line while making progress to crack the Nakatomi vault.
Despite Hans’ best efforts, the adversary known only as Roy (Rogers) is able to get the attention of the police, until the situation escalates and the FBI are called in. But it was all part of the plan! In an effort to hinder the so-called terrorist’s plot, the FBI play right into Hans’ hand when they shut down the local power grid. This act disengages the final electromagnetic lock on the vault, granting the thieves access inside. Things are looking good for Hans, and thanks to a coked-out yuppie, Hans even learned that Roy is actually John McClane of the New York Police. As if this weren’t victory enough, through a broadcast on the local news station, Hans deduces that one of the hostages is John’s wife Holly.
In an effort to fake the team’s death, Hans detonates the C4 planted on the roof. While successful in killing Special Agents Johnson and Johnson, John is able to save the hostages and narrowly escaped with his life. John comes for his wife, who is being held at gunpoint by Hans on the 30th floor. After distracting Hans using just his humor and wit, John reveals a firearm that he taped to his back and wounds Hans with a shoulder shot after killing his last accomplice. Hans stumbles backwards and falls out of the window, but manages to grab onto Holly, who John desperately holds onto. In a last act of defiance, Hans attempts to shoot John. But before he can get McClane in his sight, John removes the Rolex on Holly’s arm which was supporting Hans’ weight, and Gruber falls to his death. As the remaining members of Hans’ crew are incapacitated (some permanently), the paper bonds rain down on the John and Holly like falling snow.
Financial Breakdown
Bearer bonds. I can fully admit I had never even heard the term before Hans Gruber introduced me to the concept. Through some self-educating using the magic of the worldwide web, I learned that a bond, in its simplest definition, is a loan. The loan amount can be provided by anyone who fancies themselves an investor, and is typically given to a government or company. The bond is secured, just like any investment, in the hopes of increasing in value by the time the investor (lender) wants to cash in. The most common type of bond offers a fixed interest rate, which is paid out annually. The interest is paid out until the bond reaches its maturity date, at which point the initial loan must be paid back to the investor.
Let’s say Karl the investor lends his buddy Theo $100. Theo promises that in 10 years, he will give Karl his $100 back. However, a dollar today is worth more than a dollar tomorrow, so to sweeten the deal and make it worth Karl’s while, Theo also promises to offer an interest rate of 3% every year until the 10 years is up. Theo will pay Karl 3% every year for 10 years, at which point he gives back the original $100 investment. When all is said and done, Karl earned a profit over $30 [1]. Theo was able to pay Karl 3% each year because, if he was successful, he was earning even more using Karl’s loan.
[1] The formula for compound interest is calculated as A = P*(1+r/n)^(nt), where:
- A = the final amount
- P = the initial amount
- r = the interest rate
- n = the number of periods the interest is applied
- t = the number of periods
- Within our example, the formula is stated as A = $100*(1+3%/1)^(1×10). This reduces to $100*(1.03)^(10) and again to $100*1.3439 for a total payout of $134.39. Subtracting the initial amount of $100 from the final amount, this nets a profit of $34.39.
The typical bond described above would only be payable to Karl since he’s the one who loaned out the initial investment. A bearer bond operates using the same core principles with one major difference; whoever holds (or bears) the physical bond certificate owns it. If Karl’s buddy Franco wanted to cash in on Karl’s bond, he would need Karl to give permission and sign it over to him. In the case of a bearer bond, Franco would simply need to wait until Karl fell asleep and steal the bearer bond certificates from his room. Karl’s name is in no way attached to these papers and Franco would be able to redeem them no questions asked. As you can imagine, trying to trace the distribution chain of a bearer bond would pose a significant challenge. It’s like trying to hunt down everyone that’s ever held the last $20 bill you pulled from the ATM. On the other hand, this type of anonymity would be attractive to anyone in the thievery or money laundering business.
With this in mind, I must ask; why would the Nakatomi Corporation be in possession of such a large amount of securities which cannot be easily traced? Most companies dedicate entire teams to account for their financial holdings. Not just the assets and liabilities themselves, but the transactions involved in acquiring or offloading them as well. These exchanges need to be thoroughly documented, lest an auditor becomes too excited and wants to take a closer look. If you ask me, it’s about as off-the-books as you could get. That said, it’s a movie. While it may be a bit of a logic gap, it is by no means a jarring plot hole. The bearer bonds help to keep the premise very straightforward and move the story along without detracting from the pace. At the very least, hoarding a collection of corporate-issued fixed securities is more believable than a stockpile of greenbacks kept in a sack with a dollar-sign on it.
Review
Funny, relatable, and sporting a hairline that most men can empathize with, Bruce Willis embodies the working-class American trying to do right by both his family and his job as a detective. The film constantly comes up with new and inventive ways of pushing the narrative, forcing John McClane to outsmart (or outshoot) the villains and incorporates some seriously skillful editing and POV shots to keep you engaged in the action. Each kill is creative and memorable, right up until Hans is forced to take the shortcut down to the lobby from the 30th floor. Die Hard truly separates itself from other action blockbusters of the eighties and, like it or not, it remains one of the most seminal action movies of all time. There’s a reason it was inducted into the National Film Registry and I couldn’t agree more.
Closing Thoughts
To share a bit from my own life, it’s a tradition in my house to watch Die Hard around the holidays. It’s best enjoyed with a nice medium-rare steak, a glass of red wine, and the soundbar turned up to 11. So yes, to circle back to my original question, I do believe it’s a Christmas movie. But whether or not you celebrate Christmas, this film deserves your attention.
Final Rating: Yipee-ki-yay, motherfucker!