What is Die Hard really about?

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  • What is Die Hard really about?

    Scenario A: writer has idea for kick-ass contained action thriller, with a lone cop going up against sophisticated international terrorists in L.A. skyscraper. To flesh out the character and add emotional stakes to the story, he makes him a wisecracking NYC cop on a visit to his estranged wife, who becomes one of the hostages; the ordeal makes it easier for both to remember how much they still care about each other.

    Scenario B: writer has idea for story about love and marriage, in which career choices and pride cause the husband and wife to live at opposites ends of the country, which nearly destroys their relationship. Since this only takes up about five minutes of story, the writer throws in a terrorist-hostage situation for good measure.

  • #2
    Re: "Hero must first refuse the call"

    Originally posted by Rantanplan View Post
    ... Since this only takes up about five minutes of story, the writer throws in a terrorist-hostage situation for good measure.
    The entire "terrorist-hostage situation" is a metaphor for what is going on between McClane and his wife - and what he must do to fix the relationship.
    "I am the story itself; its source, its voice, its music."
    - Clive Barker, Galilee

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    • #3
      Re: "Hero must first refuse the call"

      Originally posted by Rantanplan View Post
      Scenario A: writer has idea for kick-ass contained action thriller, with a lone cop going up against sophisticated international terrorists in L.A. skyscraper. To flesh out the character and add emotional stakes to the story, he makes him a wisecracking NYC cop on a visit to his estranged wife, who becomes one of the hostages; the ordeal makes it easier for both to remember how much they still care about each other.

      Scenario B: writer has idea for story about love and marriage, in which career choices and pride cause the husband and wife to live at opposites ends of the country, which nearly destroys their relationship. Since this only takes up about five minutes of story, the writer throws in a terrorist-hostage situation for good measure.
      Scenario B, obviously. I mean otherwise you'd have no THE REFUSAL that Campbell cultists insist has to be in every story even though Campbell didn't insist on it.
      "I just couldn't live in a world without me."

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      • #4
        Re: "Hero must first refuse the call"

        Originally posted by TwoBrad Bradley View Post
        The entire "terrorist-hostage situation" is a metaphor for what is going on between McClane and his wife - and what he must do to fix the relationship.
        LOL!!! Finally some humor.

        (That was humor, right?)
        "I just couldn't live in a world without me."

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        • #5
          Re: "Hero must first refuse the call"

          OK, maybe I was wrong, maybe this really isn't getting humorous.

          Just to keep up (I'm slow), "Die Hard" was actually a Chick-Flick, relationship movie that had some kidnapper, terrorists added in to spice it up?
          "I just couldn't live in a world without me."

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          • #6
            Re: "Hero must first refuse the call"

            Die Hard was McClane's struggle to free the hostages from the terrorists.

            McClane's hero's journey was to perform his duty as a cop. His ex added depth to the journey. The cop who came to help him added depth. The reporter who broadcast that Holly was McClane's wife added to the story.All these side sub plots and the theme were important to making it a better story.

            If you wrote the story, what would your logline be? It would be about a cop's struggle against a group of terrorists to free the hostages in a locked highrise.

            I'm POSITIVE Campbell created Hero's Journey only for the main character/protg and his or her main story goal (external goal not inner goal.)
            Last edited by jonpiper; 07-03-2012, 12:26 PM. Reason: correct typo

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            • #7
              Re: "Hero must first refuse the call"

              You guys are wrong. DIE HARD is really about McClane's bromantic relationship with an an African American cop called Al Powell -- and helping him come to terms with shooting a kid.

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              • #8
                Re: "Hero must first refuse the call"

                Originally posted by Why One View Post
                You guys are wrong. DIE HARD is really about McClane's bromantic relationship with an an African American cop called Al Powell -- and helping him come to terms with shooting a kid.
                Finally. Somebody gets it.

                And what about Argyle?

                When a building is taken over by Terrorists it's up to a Limo driver to stop them.

                Did Argyle hide out in the limo? Hell no. He took matters into his own hands.
                Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit sniffing glue

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                • #9
                  Re: "Hero must first refuse the call"

                  I always thought of it as a story about a black computer genius who just wanted to be taken seriously by his Aryan friends from Germany, but who comes to a tragic end when the only other black man around betrays him in a parking garage.

                  This should probably be its own thread. Here. I will make one.
                  Chicks Who Script podcast

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                  • #10
                    Re: "Hero must first refuse the call"

                    Originally posted by christopher jon View Post
                    Finally. Somebody gets it.

                    And what about Argyle?

                    When a building is taken over by Terrorists it's up to a Limo driver to stop them.

                    Did Argyle hide out in the limo? Hell no. He took matters into his own hands.
                    Argyle couldn't be the protag. True he refused the call in step 2, but he never answered it in step 3.

                    Hell, I'm mixed up on the steps.
                    Last edited by jonpiper; 07-03-2012, 12:50 PM.

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                    • #11
                      Re: "Hero must first refuse the call"

                      Originally posted by emily blake View Post
                      I always thought of it as a story about a black computer genius who just wanted to be taken seriously by his Aryan friends from Germany, but who comes to a tragic end when the only other black man around betrays him in a parking garage.

                      This should probably be its own thread. Here. I will make one.
                      It's a serious look at the epidemic of black on black violence in Los Angeles.

                      Sgt. Powell shows us that there is light at the end of the tunnel for today's inner city youth.

                      In Part II of the Die Hard series, we'll look at the growing threat of Aryan gangs in Los Angeles.
                      Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit sniffing glue

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                      • #12
                        Re: "Hero must first refuse the call"

                        Die Hard is about dying hard... No not in that sense, you perv.

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                        • #13
                          Re: What is Die Hard really about?

                          OR..................

                          When his brother Fritz is murdered by a New York City Detective, Karl will stop at nothing to get revenge.
                          Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit sniffing glue

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                          • #14
                            Re: What is Die Hard really about?

                            It's about a frustrated actor called Hans who, as his resume states, is pretty good with accents but cannot get acting gigs -- so he decides to turn to crime in order to feed his family/tailor.
                            @MacBullitt

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                            • #15
                              Re: What is Die Hard really about?

                              I just thought it was just another Hollywood sequel, based on a novel.

                              - Bill
                              Free Script Tips:
                              http://www.scriptsecrets.net

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