Is Die Hard just an action film that happens to be set at Christmas time? Colin Farquhar doesn’t think so – but he’s willing to hear your thoughts.
‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even… the usual arguments about what is, what isn’t, and what might be a Christmas film.
It’s the most wonderful time to start that particular conversation.
There are many easy ones – Home Alone, It’s A Wonderful Life, Miracle on 34th Street, and The Polar Express, to name a few. Christmas films that are very obviously about Christmas.
They happen at Christmas time. They were released to cinemas at Christmas time. They are primarily concerned with Christmas.
But, there are some more unusual choices out there, and they’re finding their ways into film schedules in our cinemas, town halls and on our televisions.
Of my three favourite films to watch during the festive season, two are subject to occasional discussion about whether they are, or are not, Christmas films.
The undisputed Christmas film in the trio is The Muppet Christmas Carol, which is based – rather loosely; I’m not sure there were any frogs in the original – on Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol, the story with which Dickens basically invented the modern festive tale.
The others are Doctor Zhivago and Die Hard. The children were nestled, all snug in their beds; visions of John McClane, ho-ho-ing in vests.
Omar Sharif trekking around the Russian Revolution doesn’t immediately strike as proper Christmas material, but it has a key scene set on Christmas Eve, features lots of snow, has the beautiful “ice palace” sequence, and is just one of those massive, historical epics, directed by David Lean, that only really make sense on the very long, lazy and bleary days between Christmas and New Year.
The usual issue with Die Hard, however, is that it is mostly just an action film that happens to be set at Christmas time. Reader, I tut and I disagree. It is a most thorough Christmas film, fully-fledged and heroically merry.
Proof that Die Hard is a Christmas movie
Die Hard is not just a film that is set at Christmas, or even partially set then, like When Harry Met Sally, or Lethal Weapon, or You’ve Got Mail.
Die Hard’s only major stumbling blocks are that it was released in the mid-summer in the US, and that it contains sustained and explicit bloody violence
Die Hard features family gatherings, Santa hats, snow and even Christmas music, including lines from ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas, spoken in the film by actor Clarence Gilyard who, sadly, recently passed away.
Its only major stumbling blocks are that it was released in the mid-summer in the US, and that it contains sustained and explicit bloody violence, which – to be fair – doesn’t usually feature in most Christmas films.
Now, Dasher! Now, Dancer! Now, Prancer and Vixen! On, Argyle! On, Willis! There’s Gruber, by Rickman!
Visit Nakatomi Plaza, via Fittie
To help confirm my assertion that Die Hard is a Christmas film, it is being played for the Fittie Film Club’s seasonal film night on December 16, and it is far from the only non-traditional Christmas film playing in a community cinema through this festive period.
I’m hearing that, up in Ullapool, there’s a showing of My Beautiful Laundrette, which is a tremendous film, but not one I’d immediately think of for a Christmassy cinema programme.
So, I think of Fittie. Perhaps there will be light snow underfoot; breath visible on a frosty, cloudless, December evening. A boat passes through the mouth of the Dee, into the North Sea. John McClane jumps from the roof of Nakatomi Plaza, fire hose tied around his waist, German terrorists in hot pursuit.
Then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof, the prancing and pawing of one shoeless Bruce.
Film clubs spark fun and debate
I also can’t think of a more perfect place to have that conversation, about what might, or might not, be a proper Christmas film. John McClane reunites with his wife, Holly, at the end, as the film finishes with one final gunshot in the snow. The audience and residents will hopefully ask each other if Die Hard truly fits the bill.
Community cinema does a tremendous job of blending popular film programming with searching questions about movies. Once you have an audience who come for the friendly, fun and social atmosphere, sometimes you can put down something more challenging.
A lot of the time, that can be a bit more than: “Is Die Hard a Christmas film?” And people might disagree. But, hey, what’s more Christmassy than a riotous argument about something on the telly, where everyone makes up at the end?
So, dash on, and dash all, because Die Hard makes my list.
‘Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. The films in the schedule were all chosen with care, my hopes fully realised that Die Hard will be there.
Colin Farquhar is former head of cinema operations for Belmont Filmhouse in Aberdeen
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