This week I decided to watch the original Die Hard for what very well be the 100th time. Die Hard is the first of a set of 5 high action films starring Bruce Willis and released in 1988. After reading this chapter discussing film form I was able to look at the movie a bit more critically than I usually get the chance to.
The first thing that jumped out to me from chapter two was the lighting in this film, and how powerful and seemingly unnoticeable the elements are. The office spaces where all of the company executives are located gives off a warm yellow lighting. Also, the areas the large group of terrorists are working in also give off that same warm yellow lighting. On the contrary, in almost all of the shots where John McClain is alone in the building or has run into a few of the terrorists and is forced to take them out himself, the lighting is almost always a cold blue. I believe the director used this style of lighting to further keep the audience on the edge of their seats. Most people associate warmer yellow lighting with that of a comfortable space with plenty of room to move around. The colder blue, on the other hand, is there to make the audience feel uneasy (especially since all of the scenes shot in this lighting is an uphill battle for John).
Another aspect of chapter 2 that jumped out at me was the idea of realism/antirealism. I have been able to watch all of the Die Hard films. The thing that struck me was that this film, as well as the next two in the series, go above and beyond to create a sense of realism for the audience. After the original trilogy, two more installments were produced, and much to my dismay, there is an increasing sense of antirealism in these films. Be that as it may, I still highly recommend the original Die Hard Trilogy for those of you who are action lovers, and if anyone is okay with a storyline that is a little less than possible and shows a bit of imagination, as well as action, then I would recommend the final two installments of this series.
Ryan Augustowski
Art and History of Film 