In a previous post I discussed why Die Hard is one of the best action movies. In this post I will show why it is also the best Christmas movie.
Die Hard is also a love story
Die Hard is also a unique love story. The Nakatomi Corporation, that separated John and Holly, bring them together again because of the Christmas party and the fact that Holly and others were taken as hostages.
What is a Christmas movie
A Christmas movie gets you into the spirit of Christmas. That is why one or two months before Christmas streaming platforms, e.g., Netflix, Disney+, always have new arrivals of Christmas movies.
A Christmas movie is usually a comedy, drama, romance, family or fantasy story that takes place during the Christmas period. As a result, it is set in a highly decorated Christmas scenery.
Why Die Hard is the best Christmas movie
The difference between Die Hard and other Christmas movies is that its love story unfolds within an envelope of high-octane action that happens on Christmas eve.
Yet, the Christmas atmosphere, i.e., scenes, is there continuously. In fact, every 2.35 minutes there is a Christmas ‘scene’ (i.e., Christmas trees, Christmas decorations, Christmas lights, Santa, Christmas songs, Christmas phrases) in the movie.
This clearly shows that the director, John McTiernan, wanted to make sure that it is Christmas.
Thus, Die Hard, one of the best action movies, is also a unique love story, that takes place during Christmas eve and we sense Christmas throughout the movie. In other words, Christmas eve is not a minor detail of the movie. There you go. Die Hard is the best Christmas movie.
Below I list all Die Hard scenes relating to Christmas. Yes, sure, I might have missed some.
But even if there were not any of the Christmas scenes listed below, Die Hard will still be the best Christmas movie. Why? But simply because of its last 2 to 3 minutes:
at 2:06:58 we see Argyle, the limo driver, to soliloquize ‘If this is their idea of Christmas I got to be here for new year’s’. Then we see through the limo’s back window John McClane kissing his wife, the limo is surrounded by the trees decorated with lights and we hear:
Oh, the weather outside is frightful
But the fire is so delightful
And since we’ve no place to go
Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow!
Man it doesn’t show signs of stopping
And I brought me some corn for popping
The lights are turned way down low
Let it snow! Let it snow!
When we finally kiss goodnight
How I’ll hate going out in the storm
But if you’ll really hold me tight
All the way home I’ll be warm
And the fire is slowly dying
And, my dear, we’re still goodbying
But as long as you’d love me so
Let it snow! Let it snow and snow!
And, yes, Die Hard is certainly a Bruce Willis movie as Bruce says. Yet, it gets us into the spirit of Christmas whenever we see it.
There you go.
A list of Die Hard Christmas scenes
At 2:50 minutes when Josef Yosinobou Takagi addresses the employees of Nakatomi cooperation, we see the tall Christmas tree to the right of Takagi. Takagi ends his short talk by wishing Merry Christmas and happy new year.
At 3:18 Holly Genaro refuses to have dinner with Ellis, her colleague, because it is Christmas eve.
At 4:22 Holly Genaro says to her daughter over the phone ‘no snooping around the house for presents’.
At 4:24 Holly Genaro says to her daughter over the phone ‘let’s see what Santa and mommy can do about it’.
At 7:51 John McClane asks Argyle, the limo driver, if he has any Christmas music.
At 10:11 John McClane whistles ‘Let it snow’.
At 11:20 John McClane stands in front of the Christmas tree in the Nakatomi Building.
At 11:47 on the floor where the party takes place a guy kisses John McClane on the chick and wishes him ‘Merry Christmas pal’.
At 13:05 John McClane says to Takagi ‘I didn’t realize you celebrate Christmas in Japan’.
At 12:37 Takagi passes by a Santa that is found on a small table in Holly Genaro’s office. We see Santa again at 13:23, when Holly Genaro enters her office.
At 19:59 we see the big Christmas tree in the entrance of the building when the group of the terrorists led by Hans Gruber enter the building. We see it again at 20:20.
At 25:49 Hans Gruber passes by some Christmas decoration.
At 26:45 John McClane enters a big room on floor 33 and sees a small Christmas tree on a table.
At 34:40 we see the big Christmas tree on the 30th floor where the party is.
At 39:05 John McClane looks at the Santa just after he terminated the first terrorist.
At 40:27 in the elevator the dead terrorist wears Santa’s white and red hat.
At 40:32 we see the Christmas tree in the party area.
At 44:08 we see Santa on the table in Holly Genaro’s office.
At 44:11, 44:46 and 45:02 and during 45:15 to 4518 we see a small tree with lights in the police station.
At 45:18 Sgt. Al Powell sings the Christmas song ‘Let it snow’, the music of which is also heard in the supermarket.
At 53:24 we see the trees outside Nakatomi building; they are decorated with Christmas lights.
At 54:00 we see decorated trees again.
At 53:41 we see from outside the Nakatomi building the Christmas tree in the main entrance of the building.
At 54:29 Sgt. Al Powell gets into the building, and we see the Christmas tree.
At 56:25 we see the Christmas tree again when Sgt. Al Powell leaves the building.
At 56:31 Sgt. Al Powell wishes ‘Merry Christmas’ to the security doorman, who is a terrorist; he replies ‘Merry Christmas to you’.
At 56:39 Sgt. Al Powell sings ‘Let it snow’ when he is outside the building going towards his car.
At 57:02 Sgt. Al Powell continues to sing ‘Let it snow’ when entering his car.
At 57:16 and 57: 24 we see the lights on the trees outside the Nakatomi building.
At 1:11:47 a terrorist says ‘it was Christmas eve…’.
At 1:12: we see part of the Christmas tree in the entrance of the building when the police force attempts an entry into the building.
At 1:19:51 and 1:20:32 we see Santa in Holly Genaro’s office.
At 1:27 we see a small Santa with his coach behind Hans Gruber in Holly Genaro’s office.
At 1:35:43 John McClane, in his attempt to avoid being shot by terrorists, runs before a small Christmas tree.
At 1:35:56 we see John McClane again in front of another small Christmas tree.
At 1:36:10 we see a small Christmas tree again.
At 1:36:22 we see a small tree on an office.
At 1:36:31 a small Christmas tree is shot down by terrorists.
At 1:37:34 we see a small tree again.
At 1:42:30 Dwayne Robinson, the chief of the police, says to FBI agent Johnson ‘lt’s Christmas eve’.
At 1:43:52 the terrorist, Theo, says ‘Merry Christmas’, after opening the safe.
At 1:58:09 the floor where the party takes place is on fire and the lights of the tall Christmas tree are off.
At 1:47:50 we see the Christmas decoration outside the door of Holly Genaro’s house.
At 1:58:21 we see the Christmas tree, on the floor of the party, falling.
At 2:03:29 we see the tree lights outside Nakatomi building; the area is crowded, and a fire has started.
At 2:06:44 we see again the tree lights outside the Nakatomi building.
At 2:06:48 Argyle comes with the limo to pick up the dirty, bloodied and bitten up John McClane who holds his wife. John McClane wishes him ‘Merry Christmas’. Argyle replies ‘Merry Christmas’.
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