Die Hard - How Alan Rickman Created the Perfect Antagonist
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 29 พ.ค. 2024
- A video essay reviewing and analyzing Alan Rickman's performance as Hans Gruber in Die Hard. This was Alan Rickman's breakthrough performance at the age of 42. This video breaks down the subtle nuances of Alan Rickman as Hans Gruber in Die Hard.
PATREON: / justanobservation
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Music used:
Lines by Topher Mohr and Alex Elena
9th Symphony Finale by Beethoven
Eine Kleine Nachtmusik by Mozart
&
Waltz of the Flowers (by Tchaikovsky) by Tchaikovsky (TH-cam Audio Library)
Creative Commons - Attribution 3.0 Unported- CC BY 3.0
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Music provided by FreeMusic109 / freemusic109
Timestamps:
0:00 Breakthrough Role
3:43 Body Language
9:49 Closing Statement
#diehard #alanrickman #hansgruber - บันเทิง
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Just to add, not only was Die Hard his breakthrough film role- it was his FIRST film role, coming from theatre. Absolute legend.
He was also known for English TV roles, though. We had that pleasure before the rest of the world knew of him.
We, meaning English people?
Rickman brought a lot of that experience to the Harry Potter films. Severus Snape would be reduced to a minor background character if someone else had gotten the role. I'm so glad he was hired to play him. And even thought he was not the main character, Rickman knew how to play this man with the right level of influence. Snape was not an antagonist but from reading the books, he was a major influence in Harry's time at Hogwarts. After seeing the movies, I firmly believe he correctly portrayed the character. Rest in peace, Mr. Rickman and thank you for the memories.
He best performance is Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves Sheriff of Nottingham I'll cut your heart out with a spoon. Guy of Gisborne Why a spoon, cousin? Why not an axe? Sheriff of Nottingham Because it's DULL, you twit. It'll hurt more.
Shame he never became a James Bond 007 villain…
An interesting linguistic touch - The script line "I always enjoyed models" was changed by John McTiernan to "I always enjoyed making models" but Alan Rickman, who furiously researched German for the role, modified it further by changing it to "I always enjoyed to make models" because that is the correct way to conjugate a gerund from a verb in German. In English we usually put "-ing" at the end of a verb to make a gerund - 'make models' becomes 'making models', 'fight' becomes 'fighting' and 'shoot' becomes 'shooting' - but in German, 'make models' would conjugate 'to make models' and thus Hans Gruber conjugates it like a German person might, rather than a native English speaker.
great explanation. I was noting that difference between what I heard and what I read, and wondered about that. that makes sense.
Nice, I would not have known the reason for that distinction. I noticed good movies make sure we hate the antagonist. Rickman was awesome in this movie
This is an excellent comment. I learned something. Thank you
Also how he changed 'foreseeable detail' to 'conceivable detail'.
Agreed, this was an excellent use of research into the linguistic differences pertaining to German. I also find it funny that in the middle of the movie, Ellis makes the mistake of casually dropping some Yiddish words when speaking to Hans, no doubt in an attempt to sound worldly and smarter than he is, and then calls Hans "bubie" (which, funny enough, does NOT have the same friendly connotation in German that it does in Yiddish), and Hans' face hardens like he's been insulted... because he basically was, and Ellis was too stupid to realize it.
The lesson there? NEVER, EVER, EVER use Yiddish to a German dude, especially if he's got a gun. Ellis learned that shit the hard way, lol.
I love the fact that, throughout the entire film, the only time Hans loses his composure (albeit momentarily), is when Holly calls him a "common thief." It isn't being called a thief that bothers him, it's being called "common."
"I am an EXCEPTIONAL thief, Mrs. McClain, and since I'm moving up to kidnapping, YOU should be more polite!" 😂
And even then is not like the full on temper tantrum that Karl has destroying the bar. Its more like just reminding her that he's still the one in charge.
It is one of the best lines in all of cinema.
@@charlesboots6508 that was a great outburst of hans and so funny. 🤣
Watching this video, that line came immediately to mind,
Well, at age 44 and trying to pull my life back together, I must say that knowing Rickman didn't get his big break until 42 is properly inspiring.
My brother just got his first movie role at 47 years old. Starts filming in June so hang in there's hope for everyone.
@@Stuart267 Great!
Well, you had better get busy putting your team of criminals together and planning your heist. Tempus fugit.
@squamish4244 , Well, it's not as if Rickman's career up till that age hadn't been successful and highly esteemed. It just hadn't flourished in the realm of film.
“I don’t play villains… I play very interesting people”
- Allan Rickman
But he still refused a the role of a villain in James Bond because he was sick of that. So he kinda knew
@@cherchehacknostale To be fair, the movie wasn´t made with the intended Bond either...it was Golden Eye, and Sean Bean played Alec Travilian.
In the earlier nineties the script was different and Anthony Hopkins was supposed to play the part, which then was named Augustus Travilian.
Makes more sense with his back story too.
I watched him say that on British kids TV in the 90's growing up.
What was great about Alan is he didn't talk down to kids by dumbing down his answers.
Miss him
"Truly, Madly, Deeply", "January Man", "Die Hard"........ absolutely.
He refused to play Lord Vetinari in a Discworld movie because he thought Vetinari is a villain.
Alan totally GETS a true villain. A villain in the real world doesn't see themself as the villain. You are the hero in your own story, after all.
as per Get Carter
There's a lot of movies where the hero outshines the villain, and there's a LOT of movies where the villain outshines the hero, but Die Hard is an incredibly rare example where I'd say both the hero and villain are equally charismatic and scene-stealing. Whenever I watch it, I kinda don't want EITHER of them to lose, even though obviously Hans is not a good person.
Yes, it’s because Hans is interesting - you want know more and see more.
He's good enough to HATE! I just hated him throughout the whole film, like Neil's father in 'Dead Poets . ..' and MOST of Phil Hoffman's roles - when they're really great portrayals I forget it's an actor performing and just hate them.
@@dancarter482 And for me, I don't even hate him. That's the thing, Rickman said it himself, I don't see myself as the villain. He's so "good" that I want to like the guy and root for him. I turned out liking him.
In "Robin Hood" he simply outplayed the big hero, Kevin Costner, so that in the final version most of Rickman's scenes were cut out. Only years later, when the uncut version was released, we could see how much more depth the character of the sherriff of Nottingham originally had.
@@user-uo1kp3uh1u He should have cut Costner's heart out with a spoon. Doing it as an actor was clearly not enough.
One of favorite movie villains. Impeccably dressed, polite, well spoken, cultured, also ruthless and ultra violent. Alan Rickman made Hans Gruber unforgettable.
Arttisaprimus , yes similar to Hans landa
And so insulting that Simon agrees with McClane thinking he was an asshole, in Die Hard with a Vengeance
Polite, well spoken, cultured...yet every word he speaks drips with bored condensention and anoyed arrogance...and that is what makes him so captivating. Lovers of actiuon movies of those days didn't have the patience or attention span for slow speech, but Rickman ensared the people with his slow and deliberate performance.
"Benefits of a classical education"😄
@@benjaminwilliams1292 A great line. I forgot that one. Thx
I love how he removes the suppressor from the gun before shooting Takagi to ensure those in the other room can hear the gunshot. An extremely subtle gesture that emotes intent without a word being spoken.
I like the other two actors in the scene. Karl and Theo, I think, having a parallel conversation as they have a wager riding on Takagi’s choice.
Yup. That's his way of saying, "I'm not fucking around," but non-verbally.
I hate that they made the "suppressor" look like a barrel plug- they could have bothered to at least make it look real.
It's a message/threat to Takagi "I don't care if anyone hears me shooting you, I am in control here"
I didn’t really catch that(don’t know that much about guns), really cool detail
As we say each year - it ain't Christmas until Hans Gruber falls from Nakatomi Plaza. Rickman was a phenomenal actor.
I shall adopt this naming of the tradition (have been performing this every year since maybe the mid-90s.. Goes back-to-back with Xmas Vacay.. always a fun night!), I just haven't had an official name for it. Thank you, kindly, sir..
Love it!
SPOILER ALERT!
And we did finally get to see Holly's watch.
For the record, the actor is phenomenal, but that "oh shiznit" look on his face when he falls? That was natural, cause the director let him drop like half a second earlier than he was expecting. A small, but very real part of him thought he could possibly be falling to his death.
A voice so spectacular that you don't even need to see him in order to instantly recognize him.
You do not even need to hear him to appreciate the fabulous voice once you've heard it!
One of the more telling things about Hans' character is what causes him to lose his cool. Even when John has him at gunpoint and he's holding an empty gun, he doesn't freak out, run away, beg for his life, he just knows that his men are about to make their move right in time. But when Holly accuses him of being nothing more than a common thief, his snide veneer drops for a moment and he angrily threatens Holly. Hans stays calm and collected in the face of death, but he can't stand being disrespected.
Or perhaps , to quote Jack Nicholson, he " couldn't handle the truth ".
Even when John made him VERY angry by refusing to hand over the detonators, he only lost control for a fraction of a second. We were not expecting him to yell into the radio:
"Talk to me! Where are my detonators?"
Then he lowers his voice and we hear nothing but boiling rage that is STILL well reined in: "Where are they or shall I shoot another one?" Even Bruce WIllis played his reaction well. He looked lost, a piece of his humanity looked betrayed by Ellis' sudden execution. He could only half-whisper "Hans, go f* yourself." It showed to me that Han's very rare outburst caught John by surprise. It is so brief and chilling at the same time. Hans is still one of the scariest villains I've seen in the movies partly because he could easily be a real person, not some weird short guy directing GQ models in a space station like in the near-comedy "Moonraker."
Exceptional Thief
He made evil look suave and sophisticated. The Cary Grant of bad guys.
I loved how he recognized the suit maker, complimenting it, with that snarky smile💕
Nicely put
Well said
Yes, your label, THE CARY GRANT of bad guys, is PERFECT. I love it and will share it with my BFF who's also a huge ALAN RICKMAN fan. 💕🌸
It was like a Bond villain was inserted into the movie. He was great RIP
It's such a shame that Rickman is no longer with us. He was one of the greatest actors of all time.
RIP Alan Rickman.
Indeed, he was a terrific actor.
Hear hear !
where did he go?
@@ninibupu
He died
@@ninibupu , died of cancer.
The scene with Hans talking to Holly Gennaro while he's sitting at her desk, Holly glances over Han's shoulder to make sure the picture of her family is down behind him. Rickman makes this subtle move as she leaves to follow where her gaze went, like he senses something just happened but he can't quite place what it was. Masterful acting choice, or possibly direction, or a combo of both. Great video.
Great call out. Just a well crafted, acted and executed movie.
I know that had to happen to advance the plot, but Holly’s look was so forced that Stevie Wonder would have spotted it.
@@fatfreddyscoat7564 You're not wrong, but it's how we all act as humans.
We are constantly giving other people evidence about how we feel and think by what we choose to say or look at, but it's polite for us to usually ignore these things to not make people uncomfortable.
Hans is the type of person to look for anything that might be a weakness in others, so of course the script makes sure we understand what he saw.
You are very perceptive
Yes and he throws a test question at her: "Mr Takagi chose his people well, Mrs...?"
To which she cleverly replies "Gennaro...Miss. Gennaro" to conceal John.
Rickman was a master of understatement and nuance. A real talent.
His face and voice is so theatrical he could dial right back.
I served him in a shop in 1992. Not enough to meet him but, he really looks like that.
Even as a kid I remember being really impressed with an English actor playing a German character faking an American accent in that scene with the guard. Just the slightest trace of a german accent. It was perfectly done
He was Irish-Welsh
@@celtspeaksgoth7251 no he wasn't.. Alan Rickman is English.. Hans gruber was German
@@celtspeaksgoth7251 the irish one is his father
@@Sasso-pf1mo OP is technically right. Alan's mom was Welsh (came from the same town as Tom Jones) and his father was Irish.
His German accent was really good, but sadly when he actually spoke German it was grammatically wrong. The writers messed up on that part. "Karl, schieß dem Fenster" (Karl, shoot the window) sounds like a bad word by word google translation and honestly it sounds like they did a poor and lazy job. "Karl, zerschieß das Fenster" (Karl, shoot the window) would have been correct, or "Karl, schieß auf das Fenster" (Karl, shoot at the window). Or if they really wanted to stick with "Shoot the glass" then "Zerschieß die Scheibe" would have been better.
I really miss Alan Rickman. A lovely man with a voice like butter, who perfectly portrayed one of films most iconic villains. Truly irreplaceable
Butter with nuts maybe, I always considered his voice to be raspy.
Jeremy Irons had a good follow-up as Hans baby brother (second best DH movie, imo), but it's like anyone playing Joker after Ledger... Fugheddaboutit
"Cut your heart out with a spoon!"
Yeah I really miss Alan too.
Snape wasn't a villain 😉
Great actor, taken way to young. My favorite role of his was in Galaxy Quest. He played a tortured classically trained actor type cast in a role he hated perfectly! RIP Alan.
In Galaxy Quest Rickman is rather like Patrick Stewart. A classical actor who is more commonly known as Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the 'Enterprise' (D). As Dr Lazarus he hates reciting the things his Galaxy Quest character says to fans. Except in the moment when one of the Thermians, Quelleck is dying he recites his catch-phrase realising it is what will ease the passing of Quelleck.
I like the ending. the crew's ship totally trashes the car-park at a convention and buries itself in the hall of the venue & everyone assumes this is some grand re-enactment.
Fuck cancer. He was an amazing actor..
Alan Rickman made this movie. His performance was unequivocally sublime. His ability to transform the audience into the crux of plot is incredible through a combination of wit, charm, class and timing, it remains one of my favourite movies. If I could rewrite the script, Hans would not die and go on in the next movies until the end of the series.
That would've been really great to see. The only absolutely rubbish thing about Die Hard is that it feels like it ends so quickly.
I definitely could see him in Die Hard 3. By skipping him in DH2, it would have been like, an old enemy returns.
Rickman's Hans Gruber is probably the best "Bond"-style villain ever. . . Just not in an actual Bond movie. Too bad they never cast Rickman in a Bond film. That would have been awesome. Such a phenomenal actor.
i think Bond films are generally overrated, there's never been a truly good Bond girl or a really good Bond villain, they are all just meh
@@holliswilliams8426 While most of the Bond villains have been a bit lackluster compared to other movie bad guys, I could not disagree with you more about the Bond ladies. There have been a plethora of amazing women in Bond films. Sure, many are quite cliché, but many others have stolen the show.
Alan Rickman was considered for Bond villain Alec Trevelyn in the 95 Bond film Goldeneye but turned the role down as was tired of playing villains at that point.
It's never too late!
@@alexmc69 Uhhhh about that...
Alan Rickman as Hans Gruber and Alan Rickman as The Sherrif of Nottingham. Amazing performances
Sheriff of Nottingham: "Locksley, I’ll cut your heart out with a spoon!"
Guy of Gisborne: "Why a spoon, cousin? Why not an ax?"
Sheriff of Nottingham: "Because it’s DULL, you twit. It’ll hurt more."
Funniest moment ever! Exquisite comedic delivery!!!! 🤣🤣🤣
@@Cyborganna 👍👍👍
"CUL-OSE THE GEEE-YATE!"
Alan Rickman as Alexander Dane = beyond perfection :)
"And call off Christmas!" 🤣🤣🤣
I met Alan at the Edinburgh festival many years back, and I can say what a lovely, genuine guy he was. My all-time favourite of his will always be "Truly, Madly Deeply" 😍
What a rare treat. Rickman will ALWAYS be the actor who should've been cast as Aragorn in Lord of the Rings. Like the book, he would've been subdued, ambiguous, charismatic, leashed and mysterious. Not disrespecting Viggo (well, I kinda am), but Aragorn deserved to have depth and timeless command. But also the sort of tender devotion he displayed in Truly Madly Deeply.
Truly Madly Deeply is the only film I have ever walked out of. It put me off Rickman basically till the poor guy died.
Rickman as Aragorn? That’s the craziest thing I’ve ever heard. Aragorn is more brash in the books, Viggo and Peter Jackson made him thoughtful and subdued
Alan Rickman was an extraordinary actor, and good person. The world is a little less without him.
I think it's a lot " less " without him.
Alan Rickman, such a great actor. His icy portrayal of Hans Gruber was terrifyingly elegant, yet he had comedic chops as well (he's hilarious in "Galaxy Quest").
That's the sign of a truly magnificent actor - to be adept at both comedy and drama, especially in the same role.
He's also funny in Truly, Madly, Deeply
He is absolutely hilarious in Galaxy Quest ..... but the "By Grabthar's Hammer" scene with his dying protege is dramatic acting at its finest. Incredible talent.
@@timwheeler8523 I quite enjoyed GQ, but the lead actor was so awful I've never felt the desire to watch it again.
I've always loved Alan Rickman, he of the dark chocolate soaked in whiskey voice. Interesting that a slight speech impediment made his voice one of the top male voices ever. I always felt weird wanting to cheer Hans on.
I worked at a theater when this came out and people ended up losing their shit over the late great Alan Rickman's Hans. And Every Christmas, I play Die Hard and enjoying the gift he brought the world. Miss u. #AlanRickman
#Always
❤️🌹🙏
@@Kigoz4Life It's a Christmas movie
@@writtenimage5360 Hell muthafukin' right it is
@@writtenimage5360 they consider home alone a Christmas movie and to me it’s the same movie just made for kids
@@writtenimage5360 : One of the best. Alan was everything right about his portrayal of Hans Gruber. Bruce Willis was also remarkable as he brought his character to life. Amazingly, this movie propelled both actors to super stardom. I watch this move at least once a year around Christmas time.
Alan Rickman and James Spader, the 2 most charming man with incredible performances. Both of them make the villains have so much charisma. Miss Alan Rickman so much
James Spader is the guy you hire when you need somebody seeping sleaze from every pore of his being. He just feels very perverted in his roles even discounting his roles in some raunchy films.
What I loved about his performance was that he didn't need a scar on his a face, a dark cloak or any other cheap gimmick to tell the audience who he was, just a well tailored suit and a gun but from the moment we meet him we know exactly who is in control and even when McClane is getting the best of him he never ever loses composure, we still fear him for the entire duration of the film and we know he is willing to go as far as John to get what he wants.
John Phillips; London
Yep well said....He played Gruber without the makeup......Genius
He’s the real reason why Die Hard is a classic.
This
One confesses a vulgar love for the "cowboy" heroics. But Rickman's performance
makes it high tone.
Not him alone. There were masterful performances by Bruce Willis (who else could have played that part?) the gal who played his ex-wife, whose reactions were riveting, the dirt bag who gets killed by thinking he can negotiate with Rickman, and the guy who played Mr. Tagachi (sp?) The other crooks were great, too. this was a real ensemble, and the direction was top shelf. I suspect the director did some theatre work before doing films.
It is also a Christmas movie >:D
@@joemarshall4226 don't leave out the reporter.
I was 20 when this movie came out. I saw it in the theater. When it was over, everyone in the lobby couldn't stop talking about Hans Gruber! We were in awe of the actor and his performance! We had no idea who he was though, because we had no internet back then to look him up. But he is all we could talk about!
It was the same for me with Robin Hood. My SO and I went into the movie as Kostner fans - it was only one year after Dances with Wolves, so it wasn't as absurd as it sounds now, after Water World and Postman.
When we left, it had become the movie of the Sheriff and the other guy. Over the next weeks, we went back three times because of Rickman. Which may seem a bit obsessive but the first two times we watched a dubbed version. Only after that we heard Rickman's real voice acting and realized that he was undubbable.
Even today I'm comfortable with watching most Hollywood blockbuster movies dubbed because frankly, most of their voice acting is replaceable. But then you have people like Alan Rickman, who'll make you drive past five theaters in three cities to watch it in a fifty-seats place with the acoustics of a living room to hear his voice.
@Leandro Aude German
@Leandro Aude I don't remember tbh, it's been far too long since I watched it.
People who watch movies undubbed often hate on translations.
Many translators and voice actors do a great job but what's almost always missing is some 'flavor': Like, if you have somebody with a British accent in an American production, this accent has meaning. Scotty in Star Treck or Lucifer Morningstar in Lucifer aren't the same without it.
So in dubbed movies or series, many gangstas, posh criminals, boxers from the hood and the Queen etc. speak more similar compared to each other than in the original, which is offputting for people who know both.
Having said that, there surely are some crappy translations, too.
Although Rickman was absolutely magnetic, I limped out of that theater as if I had bloodied feet and had been bashed about. I even commented to my friend, "What the hell am I doing?" I was so immersed in the John McLane role--it was the weirdest thing. Over beers afterward, conversation focused on McLane's fight scenes (half punching, half profanity, all New York), how he should have died a few times, and finally, who that awesome villain was.
@@strangelic4234 His voice was absolutely unique and distinctive, deep, warm and so was the natural slow cadence of talking, lingering on nearly every word. The slow measured pace should be boring, but the exact opposite is true - it gives every word a carefully thought through meaning.
Since the moment I first heard his real voice, he is the one actor I definitely can't stand to watch dubbed. A few weeks ago I was switching between channels and there was Die Hard and I literally cringed at the sound when Hans started to talk.
Rickman is/was one of my very favorite and most respected actors. From Col. Brandon to Snape he could do anything. Very much regret his passing.
It's easy to see why he was the actor Rowling wanted for the role of Snape. And it was a perfect choice, since Snape had a lot less screen time in the movies than in the books, but Rickman made every second count.
I'm straight as an arrow, but Alan Rickman was a pretty handsome guy and had a voice that could melt butter.
You do know you can compliment men without being gay, right?
I also appreciate Hans’ scene with Ellis. Ellis thinks of himself as an equal of Hans, someone capable of negotiating with Hans. Hans cuts through him like butter in every way. He establishes his superiority with sarcasm, gets relevant information from him and disposes of him without breaking a sweat.
When I first saw Die Hard as a kid, I confused Ellis with Hans because they look so similar. Now I see that they made Ellis out to be the crappy American knock-off version of Hans--a twitchy, delusional yuppie who has no idea how far out of his league he is. The way Ellis is introduced and how he talks and behaves is on the opposite side of the sophistication spectrum compared to Hans.
Both are horrible people and eillis would backstab and screw people to get ahead if he could.
He just didn't have the balls or opportunity. Though Ellis is more the type to have others do the dirty work for him so could think of himself as better than most criminals.
"Yes you're very perceptive, you've figured it all out" is the funniest line in the movie
It also shows the difference in cockiness between McClane and Ellis. McClane has an assuredness he's earned through toughing it out as a cop. He's not much of a talker, but he's had to learn to read people as a matter of life and death. Ellis is used to dealing snakes like himself who are only out to obtain and horde wealth. His assuredness is that he believes he's a top-tier talker. McClane says it himself when he says "Hans, this shithead doesn't know what kind of man you are, but I do."
I love the minute Ellis realises he's out of his depth and a goner. His smile fades, he laughs nervously and gets one last drink in. Hart Bochner nailed it.
Ellis is also coked out of his head
He was one of the best actors of all time, simply because he could include such subtle, nuanced, small details into a performance. From how a character pushed their glasses up their nose to how they held a coffee mug. He was a genius.
Alan was great as the Sheriff in Robin Hood too. Rest in peace Alan.
Yes! He really stood out in Robin Hood, far above any others performance. Heard that ol’ Kevin Costner asked for some of Alan’s lines to be cut because he feared he was being over-shadowed. Yes, you were being eclipsed by a real actor. Sheriff of Nottingham: “You my room, 10:30 tonight. You, 10:45. And bring a friend.” 😂😂
Yes, I detested and feared him in that!
"I'm gonna cut your heart out with a spoon"...I watched it so many times!
Cancel Christmas
"because it's dull, it will hurt more!" 🤣
Another scene that cements his power is the one when the hostages first see him. He stands slightly above them, twitches his neck and clutches his notebook as if he was a priest holding a bible and getting ready to give his sermon.
Later he is shown writing in the notebook and I've always wondered what he possibly could have been recording.
The notebook is probably empty with nothing in it because he thought strutting around with it in that intimidating way would be such a boss move.
Yes! He looks like a preacher tending to his flock
the notebook also lets everyone know he is the man with (both figuratively and literally) the plan
A shame he didn’t get a nomination for this at the academy awards. Every single word and gesture pulls me in. Die Hard truly is one of the best action movies ever made with one of the best scripts in a movie: so well crafted with little details everywhere.
One of the best Christmas movies out there, along side Lethal Weapon!
Amen, you almost wish they had a re-vote about 10 years later for those who really stood the test of time and were not just a flash in the pan. Many winners would not even be nominated later. And of course many losers would then be the winners.
That's why it spawned a franchise that's lasted 30 years.
@@dennisgannon Kind of like the veterans committee at the baseball hall of fame. :-) This is one of a handful of performances where an actor got flat out robbed and gave a performance for the ages that didn't even get a nomination, much less a win. Top of my list would be Alan Rickman in "Die Hard", Angela Lansbury in "The Manchurian Candidate", Yul Brynner in "The Ten Commandments", John Wayne in "The Searchers"" and Andy Griffith in "A Face in the Crowd". There are also a whole slew of Henry Fonda performances that would qualify- he didn't get an Oscar nomination between "The Grapes of Wrath" and "On Golden Pond".
And being that it's a Christmas movie and Christmas is almost here, you're likely to see it televised, referenced or pop up in popular weekly searches in streaming services.
"Excuse me, I must have missed 60 Minutes'. My favorite Hans line, makes me laugh every time lol.
As film debuts go- Rickmans in Die Hard is comfortably among the very best. A remarkable and legendary performance from a great actor. Movie history was made.
As Rickman himself noted, he didn't see Hans as a villain (or he didn't play him that way). And that's the simple secret of exceptional acting that so many actors forget or never grasp. Everyone is the hero in their own movie. Hans wants what he wants, and woe to anyone standing in his way. Looked at in this way, Rickman's acting choices make perfect sense. Of course, being the outstanding actor he was, Rickman elevated those choices to create one of the greatest cinematic characters ever to exist.
I think that's the key to all the best villains. Jon Doe in 7, Darth Vader, Joker or Commodus all believed and felt perfectly justified in what they were doing and saw the hero as a the villain. Like they were creating art that only they understood.
@@grinningchicken Well put - creating art that only they understood. But even on a more earthy level, it's what life is about. Those who go against us and hurt us have their own reasons for it, and it makes sense to them. It might even make sense when viewed objectively. And shoplifters or burglars or people who embezzle thousands from their workplaces all feel perfectly justified, because it benefits them, after all.
Kind of how he elevated the Sheriff of Nottingham in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. He starts off cool and controlling, but becomes increasingly manic as his plans are continually foiled by Robin. "Call off Christmas" was his best over-the-top lines.
Something that Michael Madsen said in an interview “you’ve got to find the humanity in a villain”
Excellent point, "Everyone is the hero in their own movie." In that perspective, he's doing what's right because he feels he's in the right.
I was the General Manager of the theatre that held the World Premiere of this film back in 1988. The Avco Cinema in Westwood California. That was an incredible day and I have always believed Rickman’s performance was the best ever for a villain. So glad you recognized his genius. So glad you compared this to other actors’ attempts to be anywhere near as good but ultimately failing. I always felt the producers regretted killing him off as no one came close to replicating the chemistry between Willis and Rickman in subsequent Die Hard films. RIP to a brilliant actor who will never be forgotten
Irons does a hell of a job though. I love DH3, I really do. It has an amazing fleshed out world with great little characters…until the stupid set pieces start. But the build up to the heist is amazing. It all goes to hell when he gets flushed out of a manhole, though. Lol
@@kyucklebeans Well it would have been hard for them to have lightning strike twice but DH3 is still a very good movie - if you ask me that is.
The Diehard sequels were a complete rip off.The industry was simply slashing the pockets of the audience ; what was required was an equally sophisticated, thrilling plot; what we got were weak scripts and bigger louder bangs. It is as if Hollywood has banned intelligent plots and smart dialogue.
@@bedstuyrover Die Hard 2, yes. Total waste of time
They could have pulled of any trick save him but maybe some didn't want this
Rickman as Gruber Is the one movie where you actually likes the bad guy as much as the hero.
More...
Such a good breakdown of a legendary performance from a legendary performer. Die Hard would not be as revered as it is without Rickman as Gruber. Bruce Willis may be the lead but Alan Rickman was the star.
Love the bit when he unexpectedly bumps into Bruce while looking for the detonators and adopts the character of ‘Bill Clay’ - a frightened office worker. He’s completely convincing as Clay but Rickman plays it so you can still see the cunning Gruber behind the eyes. A real acting tour de force.
Agreed. I also think there was a missed opportunity when they had cigarettes. John should have realized they were European cigarettes and gotten a clue.
@@kirnpu i think he did, hence he played along. the stepped on cigarette was part of this..
@@kirnpu “Oops, no bulllllets. You think I’m fucking stupid, Hans?” He knew lol
I think he knew all along....
He doesn't remain calm through the whole film. He loses it at one point and one point only.
I AM AN EXCEPTIONAL THIEF, MRS McLANE!
I was just looking for this comment. It is so telling (and such great performance) that the only thing that could crack Gruber's facade is to call him ordinary ('common').
His callous narcissism is on full display for those two seconds. And is swiftly put back behind the mask.
It might be a bit of a cliche but, when done well, this is my favourite sort of villain: the one who’s facade gradually cracks as things go more and more wrong. It humanizes them even more and, when done to a villain who is *already* really compelling, elevates them just that much more than if they were either a.) inhumanly confident and on top of things the whole time or b.) psycho and scary the whole time.
I don't think he does lose it in that moment. His plan is gone, he's extemporising, thinking on the move, he corrects her, telling her that there is nothing common about the heist he is pulling off, and when he does so his voice is controlled, this man has exceptional restraint, shown by his follow-up comment. He's still smart enough to tell her, in an amusing way, that he's still in charge and she's still in deep shit.
"...and since I'm moving up to kidnapping you should be more polite."
The only time he "loses it" is when, in exasperation, he has to tell the German Karl in English to shoot the glass because Karl has utterly failed to understand "sheiss dem fenster".
That last paragraph is entirely my opinion and I use "lose it" in a fairly light way. You can practically hear him sigh to himself when he has to switch to English, as if to say "what the hell is wrong with you? Do you even German?" (Admittedly, I understood it because my German sucks)
Personally, I think Gruber keeps it together throughout the film, which makes him an even more enjoyable villain. He doesn't take out every setback on one of his underlings or blame them for the jerk who is busy ruining his brilliant plan. He just keeps on finding ways to keep moving forward.
@@aaronleverton4221 ...
@@personalsigh !!!
This is also the reason why I love the First Die Hard so much… Its not Willis its Rickman’s performance!… We definitely don’t get villains like this anymore. Hell most Bond villains should be in this type of posture half the time! Alan was that DAMN Good!
Willis is a key part of it though, you need that counterweight to Rickman, and he's perfect for it.
He plays that character so perfectly, it's amazing. Always calm under pressure. He was made for this role. I love when he compliments Takagi about his suit.
John Phillips London
The beauty of the good ole days when you went into a theater not knowing what to expect and stumbling upon a masterpiece.
Another element that made Die Hard such a great movie. Right after Takagi is killed you see Karl hand a bill to Theo, because they had a little side bet on whether or not Takagi was going to give up the code. This shows the team that took the building were familiar with each other enough to be like co-workers. Those little details are not found in many action movies.
I love the scene when he is making his demands over the radio for prisoner releases, one of which he just read about in Time. At the end his guy asks if they'll do it, and he simply replies "Who cares?" Just another ruse for his chess game. So much in a little scene to show his character wonderfully portrayed.
What a GREAT performance from an absolute legendary actor, who unfortunately left us too early...
I always loved how Hans Gruber is displayed; he is not merely an enemy, he is an adversary, a true antagonist.
he's the protagonist in this movie
I would've loved to have seen Jeremy Irons and Alan Rickman together in a film. That would've been a serious treat. How Jeremy portrayed Simon Gruber, in the 3rd Die Hard was reminiscent of how Alan portrayed Hans. Fabulous.
This movie has,and will continue to be, my favorite movie all because of Alan Rickman's performance. Such a huge loss to the movie industry and mankind. He was such a wonderful person from all accounts.
I don't think of Die Hard as a Bruce Willis movie, I think of it as an Alan Rickman film.
He did the same to Kevin Costner in his Robin Hood remake.
@@bigyin2794 He STOLE that film from Costner.
It belongs to both of them, the role didn't turn Willis into a superstar for no reason.
@bigyin2794 why a spoon cousin?
Alan rickman and Michael wincott my 2 favourite villans 👌
Two things: this is not only Alan Rickman's breakout role, it's his first movie. He'd had other parts on tv series in the UK, had just been nominated for a Tony, but it's his first movie.
Also, take a look at the Boardroom scene with Takagi again - Rickman uses the gun with his left hand. In every other shot where he's holding the gun, it's in his right hand. But the left hand was needed to make the big motion picking up the gun from the table while he's counting. Rickman was *absolutely* aware of where the audience/camera was and how to turn up the drama physically.
Great video!
'Rickman uses the gun with his left hand. In every other shot where he's holding the gun, it's in his right hand.' - Well spotted. I didn't notice that.
It looked really smooth for being his off hand - it made me wonder if he was ambidextrous! My husband's family have people who are able to use both hands, so I notice weird things like "wait, wasn't he right handed earlier?"
@@jenenglert2828 My older brother Glenn is ambidextrous. At a restaurant once when we were in high school, he ate with his left hand until he saw someone at another table point it out to his tablemates. Then he switched to his right hand to confuse them.
@@AmericanActionReport my husband's dad would do certain things left handed, also an older brother uses their left for batting and a couple other things. My son, who is non-verbal and autistic, will sign certain things with one hand, and other things with the other. No reason that we can figure out. It's so interesting to me, who fumbles around with my dominant hand!
He was a theatre actor for a while before TV and film.
The entrance scene of Rickman and looking for Tagi made me think of Heath Ledger's entrance as the Joker in Bruce Wayne's Party. Maybe Heath was referencing Rickman...even in the way he enunciates "gentlemen", was very similar.
one of the most compelling villains in cinematic history. Charming, ruthless, cynic, sophisticated, thorough, cultivated, highly educated, smart, elegant and charismatic. a consummate professional and you could not tell him apart from a top level executive. De Niro plays a similar character in heat. Both are amazing.
And you sir put together an amazing video :-)
Alan Rickman was a true master in the art of acting. All of his performances had nuance and unforgetable style. He did a short film called "Dust" where he did not speak at all and yet he conveyed so much by his movements, expressions and grace. He was truly one of a kind.
I'm based in the UK and used to work in the Film and TV industry. One of my biggest regrets was that I never got to work with Alan Rickman who was not only a brilliant actor but also a warm and beautiful person. He was taken from us far too soon and with that I'd just like to say, fuck cancer.
Studying Alan in Die Hard should be required standard 401 level shit for film and acting students. The man is pure in his exchanges.
The look of shock on his face at the wristwatch drop scene at the end was literally him being scared shitless. They said "drop on 3" then dropped him on "2."
It wasn't acting then, was it?
@@OrangeDog20 lol yeah Loki totally undermines his own point. Such a great actor that they had to trick his ass with a fake countdown! I just think he wanted to prove he remembered that BTS nugget in the special edition DVD
What is so great about him having been ‘dropped’ before the actually 3 count, is that he stayed in character and didn’t lose his professionalism.
That was when he broke his leg too.
Alan Rickman was a beautiful man with a beautiful voice and a very talented actor.....absolutely loved him.
Hans will forever be one of my favorite action movie villains. Not only because Alan embodies the character like a chamaleon, but because he's also strategically and devillishly smart, oddly charismatic, rewards his henchmens' patience and treats them fairly nice, he only gets angry when he has a good reason to be angry, has the traditional villainous ruthless and violent side to him (in a good way), and at a few points, he's slightly unhinged.
Great villains tend to have layers. They start calm and rational and end as depraved wrecks of their former selves. Hans had a great plan that hinged on knowing how his primary enemy (LAPD and FBI) would operate and he was even able to adapt into unexpected situations. He definitely has established some degree of loyalty and professionalism in his quite motley crew that goes beyond paying them well.
@@vksasdgaming9472 How the crew interacts with each other is one of the things that makes the movie special. They do a convincing job of making it look like they've worked together for a while and have a strong rapport, and that Gruber is a good leader who pushes his people, but also takes care of them.
@@davidward2651 There definitely doesn't look to be much internal tensions between them. Biggest strife within is between Hans and Karl and there is very strong reason for Karl not being as disciplined as he should be, but even then he doesn't question Hans' plan or challenge his leadership.
Personal guess is that Gruber had planned Nakatomi heist as his Final Big Score before retiring to South-American silence. He doesn't seem inept manager and most likely pays agreed share (or lump sum) as that is professional. Karl provides leadership while Hans does the plans and keeps focus. If Gruber would have just grabbed the loot after he blew up the roof he had chance of escaping. Forcing new confontration with McClane was unnecessary risk and villains plans tend to break when they do so.
I was reminded of James Mason’s performance in Hitchcock’s North by Northwest. Cool, sophisticated and ruthless, and only loses his self control briefly when he feels personally betrayed by his mistress.
Mason was a huge influence on Rickman.
Damn, you're on to something. Add to that the suave gait and posture of his henchman Leonard played by Martin Landau.
Good comparison.
You're right, he definitely had a dark sensuality about him.
RIP Alan, legend of our time.
With the fluidity of a panther and the single-mindedness of a shark, Alan Rickman's Hans Gruber gives us chills while at the same time evoking our admiration. Rickman's visceral yet elegant depiction makes him unforgettable. A tour de force!
My favourite lost actor, together with Robin Williams. I miss them both immensely. I grieve them both like they were my real life loved ones, and in some ways they were. They both helped me when I was feeling down. I celebrated milestones in my life together with them by watching my favourite films, and when we lost them I cried and felt like a hole opened up in my heart. I know it sounds... Weird, but I can't describe it in any other way.
*A couple of more things:*
When Hans speaks, he is very distinct. He makes sure to fully say every letter in each word. That's his Rickmans stage experience where if you listen to people both speaking and singing on a Broadway stage, they do that to. You hear ever letter. And as such, it gives him a more unique sound then anyone else. Even Takagi slurs his words compared to Hans
When Hans is "looking" for Takagi, Karl lets us know this is a ruse, as he goes right to Takagi and is intensely staring at him before he speaks. This lets us know that Hans is just playing mind games. He is showing that Takagi will reveal himself, not the other way around. But Karl is a hot head and is quick to rush in, and that is why he has to go right to Takogi, even if it is to just stare at him. This scene highlights these two, to a tee. Hans is calculating, plays mind games, is slow and methodical. Karl is virtually out of control and can barely contain his emotions, even on the smallest of tasks. This is why he won't listen to Hans when he had the chance to contain John.
A good point on his speaking. Reminds me of Hugo Weaving as the Matrix's Agent Smith. Enunciates every single syllable!! Masterful!
And Christopher Lee.
Yes! So many movies these days don't have that precise diction, I want to rewind it to hear it again. With Alan Rickman, you always hear it clearly.
The difference between a fluent speaker of English and a native speaker of English is that the native speaker will inevitably "slur" in the sense of blending words together and using weak forms. A fluent non-native speaker will speak very precisely, like Hans Gruber, betraying his foreignness. Hans as the "American hostage" tries to use a sloppy and unrefined voice and accent, but can't help but still enunciate, subconsciously cluing John in to his ruse. Hans is not as smart as he thinks he is, be it in his accent, his citing a classical education when using a popular misquote of classical literature, or his failure to account for one man on the inside of the building being able to evade him and ultimately get the upper hand. The only thing more satisfying than seeing an American "cowboy" best a European intellectual is seeing the cowboy beat a European poseur, one who's read more Time and Reader's Digest than Plutarch and Nietzsche. Hans' air of precision and superiority ultimately crumbles in the face of a seasoned officer of the law, a man who's had more experience dealing with criminal activity than Hans - the "exceptional thief" - has.
I have many German relatives who do the same thing, even more so than other non-native speakers. English is very similar to English, but almost no silent letters, so it's also part of Rickman's shockingly good fake German accent.
After seeing this movie so many times, I have come to realize it is so much more than just a typical action movie. Alan Rickman's performance lifted this movie out of that category. Additionally, the performances of Bruce Willis and Reginald VelJonson combined to make this movie a classic that can be watched over and over, especially at Christmas.
Now this is “actions speak louder than words” on a whole new level. He’s already done a lot without even saying a single word until when needed.
Alan Rickman is my favorite actor. He was such a legend and is so greatly missed ❤
The man cared very much and very seriously about his job
we miss actors like him
RIP Alan Rickman
Lovely essay on a fantastic performance. How many of us can say that we enjoyed Die Hard more because of that character rather than Willis'?
Well I agree Hans is a truly great villain and Alan Rickman had a huge hand in making the movie the classic it is but without Bruce Willis as John McClane Hans has no hero to play off of and even more importantly there wouldn't be a movie. Both Hans and John McClane and their insane chemistry together as foes make Die Hard the icon it is. You can praise Alan Rickman without dissing Bruce Willis lol.
Alan Rickman is the reason I keep watching Die Hard!
Agree. I only rewatch that movie because of Alan.
Alan Rickman is the main reason I watch this movie but Bruce Willis does great as well and both play off each other really well.
I also like the character of that cop that McClane talks to on the radio, that and some of the humour is the little touches that add to the movie and lets not forget the one in the limo, forgot his name lol.
If there was an 'NCAA style' tournament of 'Baddies'.. Hans is in the Final 4 for sure.. Only other person I can for sure put there is Vader (old Vader.. from back in the day.. you know which one I mean...)
This is a nuanced, elegant analysis, mimetic to Gruber and Rickman. If anyone hasn't seen Rickman's film, A Little Chaos, it's absolutely worth watching. He co-wrote it, directed it, and co-stars with Kate Winslet (her best role) and Matthias Schoenaerts (along with a stellar supporting cast). It's a beautiful, intricate, and emotionally intimate story about creativity, grief, and finding one's place in the world. His masterpiece.
My wife and I saw “Die Hard” in the theatre when it was originally released. Of course we knew Bruce Willis from his TV show, “Moonlighting”, but with the exception of Alexander Godunov, everyone else was was either unknown to us (eg. Rickman), or character actors we recognized, but didn’t know the name of (eg. the actors who played Al, or Takagi, or the long haired Asian actor who was part of Hans’ crew, who was also the baddie who electrocutes Mel Gibson, in “Lethal Weapon”). As we walked out to our car after the movie (which we enjoyed far more than we were expecting) our whole discussion was basically “WTF was that guy that played Hans Gruber? He was awesome!”. This movie made movie stars out of both Willis and Rickman. But I still firmly believe without Alan Rickman’s performance “Die Hard” would have been a decently successful, run of the mill action flick, instead of the classic (Christmas movie!) it has become. It’s a damned shame he’s no longer with us.
Everything about this performance - the voice, the body language, the persona he projects - is pitch perfect. Not only should he have gotten an Oscar nomination for this, he probably should've won; I'd guess the reason he didn't get nominated for Best Supporting Actor was that this was "just an action film". Oddly, the winner that year was Kevin Kline for a comic role in "A Fish Called Wanda" (great work, but I would've given the Oscar to Rickman).
Yes, and while I like Kline, Rickman’s performance was just brilliant and as it turns out, timeless as well.
It's a smaller world without Alan Rickman. Miss him.
I was oddly touched when Allen Rickman died. I was particularly impressed by his performance in the film "Snowcake". This role showed that he can be brilliant even as a non-villain. As a private person I don't know much about him, but from what I can tell his colleagues held him in high esteem. This was shown to me by a colleague's statement after his death, which read: "A King has passed away".
I think this breakdown of his performance is really what makes his final shot so impactful and iconic. Even hanging from the window, it still feels like he exudes confidence - he has the gun, he's in control - then the switch to pure shock and fear on his face as he loses.
I first watched Alan Rickman in a BBC film called “Truly, Madly, Deeply” with Juliet Stevenson. I fell in love with both of them and I have followed them ever since.
Rickman’s voice was his signature as it was for Richard Burton, James Earl Jones and Morgan Freeman. They have unmistakeable deep tones.
When I watched that movie couple of weeks ago I was stunned by his performance and was totally not surprised to see him as Snake in Harry Potter but really disappointed he didn't make more movies
@@cherchehacknostale Snape, not Snake lol.
@@cherchehacknostale It was a very romantic performance.
That was another one of his great performances. Bottle Shock, Quigley Down Under, Galaxy Quest... No matter the sort of role he played, he always gave his best, and that was very good indeed.
and of course, James Mason along with Vincent Price
"...his hands in his pockets, while everyone else is carrying tools...." An early example of "going Hans free"
🤦🏼♀️😆
Where the heck is the GROAN button!!! ;)
Ooooooooooh you're a dad alright
Die Hard is one of my favourite movies (and rightly so).
It's nice to see a breakdown and homage to Rickman in this role to really help me appreciate all the nuances he did to make that character so captivating to so many.
Iconic performance. Also excellent writing and direction.
In the top three greatest villains ever to be seen on a cinema screen, Alan Rickman a.k.a Hans Gruber will always hold a special place in people’s hearts.
I’d had Anthony Hopkins in there as Lecter as well. Why do the British make good bad guys?
@@dawnguard6472 It's the subtility and the juxtaposition of wrongdoing and perceived refinement. No amount of shouting, violence and pointing weapons can compare to a cool, collected voice in Her Majesty's English telling you in intimate detail how the future will unravel.
@@dawnguard6472 I think the reason brits make such good villains is due to our dryer sense of humor, over the course of our lifetimes even your everyday brit has mastered the ability to say apparently outlandish evil-sounding things but in a calm serious manner and that same delivery has many cross over skills for playing a cinema villain.
Quite frankly, the sequels to Die Hard could never match up to the original simply because their villains weren't up to the standards of the truly terrifying Hans Gruber. Kudos to Rickman for bringing this mastermind to life.
If you're writing a script and you want a bone chilling villain, name him Hans! Hans Gruber! Hans Landa! Can't go wrong when the bad guy is in good Hans!
And Die Hard is *still* one of the BEST Christmas movies ever!!
;)
No. It’s *the* best ever Christmas movie.
The character's use of hands, the precision, the use of the filofax shows the exactness too. That first murder by Hans is then such a shock.
I always marveled at how often my brother and I would lend this movie on videocassette from the library. little did I know that the whole time it was due to Alan Rickman's excellent acting
The final scene where he falls to his death contains an element of surprise because he was meant to drop on the count of Three, but they surprisingly let him go on the count of Two, which genuinely surprised him and that surprise is reflected in his face during the drop.
Yet even though he was very surprised by them having done that, he stayed in character and didn’t blow that scene.
It's been said, "In order to have a great hero you need a great villain." Rickman's Hans Gruber was an outstanding villain counterfoil to John McLane. Followed up with his portrayal of Eliot Marsten in "Quigley Down Under." Another great villain role.
I've always seen Gruber as more the hero than the scruffy little fat-boy.
Also juxtaposed Kevin Costner's Robin Hood as the Sheriff of Nottingham in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. I dare say that Rickman actually saved that movie.
@@joelellis7035 I would not go so far as to say he 'saved' that execrable film, but he made it more bearable. Costner sucks the life out of everything.
@@davidmorgan6896 Only role I could stand Costner in were when he was the bad guy.
@@davidmorgan6896 Willis' McClain character was in shape so I'm not sure what you mean by 'fat-boy'. While we wanted him to win but still loved the performance of Gruber, I don't think we'd necessarily jump off the deep end regarding our admiration for Rickman's performance and say that the people in the movie who are very clearly terrorists, should win.
His Sheriff of Nottingham was equally perfect.
I loved Alan's sarcasm the most, combined with his smooth voice is wonderful to listen to. In this movie, in Robin Hood (Do you mind we're busy right now), Galaxy Quest and most beautiful in Harry Potter (Ah mister Potter, our new celebrity).
Only Rowan Atkinson's Black Adder persona(also seen in the movie the Witches) comes close in setting down a sarcastic persona like that.
I’m calling it. Alan Rickman’s Hans Gruber is the best of the best of villains. He checks every box, and honestly, he deftly, through his performance, gets you to root for him to succeed. Who isn’t caught up in the swell of music when Theo finally opens that safe?
A parallel to this is Christoph Waltz in Inglourious Basterds. Perfect role, unbelievable actor. Evil, yet likable.
I remember seeing this movie upon its release. I was blown away at the action, humor, and dialogue, because I'd never seen anything like it up to then. I loved Richman because he was such a great, unexpected bad guy. And his voice and delivery is priceless! It's said that the impact of a hero are directly impacted by the level of evil in the villian. Richman's Gruber is one of the best cinema villians of all time.
The director was good
His acting was just wonderful, it made a big impact on me and I really enjoyed this movie because of it. It is a real classic I must have watched it 20 times over the years.
Very apt summation of his performance. I saw this film in its entirety for the first time last night and was fascinated by him in this role. What stood out to me as a moment that showed how little he values human life was when he compliments Mr. Takagi's suit before he executes him, saying "That's an exquisite suit. It would be a shame to ruin it".
its been a christmas tradition of mine to watch Die Hard because it really is that good ... and Rickman totally destroys the role
I always thought Hans Gruber was such a great villan because, despite his ruthlessness and greed, he seems like someone you'd want to know and hang out and with. He makes the audience almost feel flattered to be in their company, and so when he does something evil like shoot Takagi, he still remains likeable because the audience instinctively feels that if they had been in Takagi's shoes they would have just done what Gruber wanted and escaped unharmed. His motivations are understandable if not laudable, and so he's not frightening and off-putting like a chaotic villian, such as, say, The Joker, who's fun to watch, but not someone you'd ever actually want to be around. Gruber is a villian in the vein of Hannibal Lector.
Bit like Boris Johnson 🤣
@@zxbzxbzxb1 A bit. Except that Hans doesn't have hair that makes his head look like like an orangutan's ass.
I watched this movie 1000 times his performance never gets old!!
Alan Rickman was absolutely spectacular and significantly contributed to Die Hard's success. He brought sophistication, composure and charisma to the leading protagonist role.