0:00 The Theme of John McClane's BS Defined 3:13 The Meaning of Let It Snow 4:29 The Meaning of Run DMC's Christmas in Hollis 6:01 The Antagonists: The Japanese Represented by a String Quartet 7:46 The Antagonists: The Terrorists Represented by Beethoven 8:17 Beethoven's Ninth Symphony Explained 10:50 Recitative of the Pacific Courier Truck 12:33 The Seed that Michael Kamen Plants 13:21 The Ode to Joy Around the World 14:53 Ode to Joy at the Nakatomi Party 16:15 Hans Sings the Ode to Joy 17:16 Why Not Wagner Instead? Answer: A Clockwork Orange 18:26 Theo Sings and Karl Dances 20:06 The Meaning of the Ode to Joy 22:54 Why Ode to Joy Represents Hans? Answer: Perverted Idealism 23:43 Ode to Freedom Concert 24:26 Winter Wonderland 24:59 Christmas Ending Setup 26:24 James Horner's Magic 27:00 John McClane Deals with His BS
Silent Night was written in 1818 for... wait for it... St Nicholas Church. The writer... Franz Gruber. The lead villain in Die Hard... Hans Gruber, who with all the explosives was not about a silent night. Can’t make it up.
I know this is 9 months late to comment on. This is probably the most compelling argument for Die Hard being a Christmas movie I have ever seen... good job.
I've always been a Die Hard fan (hehe), so I was surprised by your defense of Die Hard as a Christmas movie. And, boy, you just unloaded with so much evidence and behind-the-scenes goodies that I never knew, making me love Die Hard even more. Thank you so much for this!
I had no idea there was any dispute. I thought everybody knew it was a Christmas movie. I don't know where this idea started that it isn't. Has Bruce Willis not actually watched Die Hard?
This is the greatest analysis I’ve ever seen of Die Hard and really helps elevate the movie as a layered artistic work. I have always loved Die Hard and the classical music that was used, but I always thought of it as just a juxtaposition of the brutal basic mechanics of an action movie and the complicated drama of a hostage crisis. I knew the hostages were just a red herring, as the terrorists were later proven to be “exceptional thieves”, but I could never truly make the connection that the movie was deeper than it portrayed itself despite feeling like it was deeper. Thank you for the insight and your inspired research into Die Hard: the musical.
This is amazing, thanks for explaining to the non-believers and further reaffirming my love of this holiday classic. I really appreciate the extra layer of Beethoven you’ve shown me and I’m watching Die Hard again now to catch it all.
I can think of one other reason why Wagner would be the wrong choice: Hans and co. are not ideologues. In the original novel, the villains were actually ideological terrorists. Wagner playing over German criminals would suggest they were Nazis with some sort of racial motivation. Since they are in fact apolitical thieves, it’s more appropriate to use a song that has, as you point out, been associated with causes across the political spectrum.
The implied back story of the terrorists is that they started out as left-wing ideologues who eventually degenerated into nothing more than violent thugs out to get rich AND disappear from the radars of all the world's security services who were hunting them (like Interpol) by faking their own violent deaths.
Also: Marco is Italian Uli is Chinese Theo is American Eddie is American Franco is French Not entirely sure Karl is German, since he can't understand Hans when he says "Schieß dem Fenster", even though his brother is speaking German when he shouts "Nein! Nein! Warte noch!" and gives himself directions: "Links. Rechts. Und wieder links." But then again, it may be because of the adrenalin rush that he didn't understand Hans immediately.
@@bloodymarvelous4790 IIRC, none of the german is intelligible. Whether on purpose or just not necessary since the actions show the dialogue's meaning clearly.
Notice on the rooftop shootout how Alexander Godunov walks almost like hes in tune with his Aug. They took a ballet dancer and made him a lethal killing machine. I love it when they take a guy from a walk in life like that and use them in a movie like Die Hard. The worlds come together, the music just makes this whole movie a one of a kind action-opera.
Truly spectacular video! I thoroughly enjoyed it. One of life’s great pleasures is to see a piece of art that you enjoy anyway revealed to be even more complex and carefully created than you at first realised. You’ve done that here in spades!
Holly Gennero. Holly. That Christmas bush of green and red. Gennero. Can be translated to January, essentially Winter, that begins near Christmas and the month days after Christmas. Argyle. Contrasting colors like Red and Green, Christmas colors. In diamond shapes, a valuable gem, like family. Holly got a present of a Rolex. Commercialism v. family values and the true meaning of Christmas (Peanuts reference). Same can be said for the reporter putting his career over the McClane family when he uses them. The whole job that can be done anywhere and reunion of love is pure Hallmark channel Christmas movie stuff.
It should be noted that the Rolex was bought by Ellis, aka the coke head sleeze ball who was clearly into Holly and hitting on her. And don't forget that, when John breaks Hans's last grip sending him falling, the cut right before that shows the Rolex breaking apart, and Hans's hand slipping away. So, the Rolex breaking away both symbolizes the business world and Ellis's weird hold over Holly, and John breaking it away means he broke her free from said hold, and Hans's other business hold (if you wanna say that), and was able to bring her back to him. And what do the 2 of them do right after Hans (the bad business) and the broken watch (the not bad but still commercial AF business) fall to their demise? Kiss.
This brings back so many memories. In the mid-80's, Japan was the LOOMING THREAT that was gonna eat up America. And my all-time favorite 80's plot device was the baddies wanting "untraceable" bearer bonds. These are physical items printed on ginormous sheets of paper, and you really need at least a Radio Flyer wagon to move them around. Can you pay for a cab ride or Holland Tunnel toll with a bearer bond? Make it rain in a strip club? How about cashing a bearer bond at a bank teller window? All you can DO with them is store them in vaults. But thank you Howard for the explication of Beethoven's Ninth. I recognized the Ode to Joy, of course, but the theme usage throughout the film never registered 'til now. There is a Ninth Symphony/Japan link that you may not have known - the length of this symphony was directly responsible for the development of the industry standards for the original compact disc. In Japan. www.classicfm.com/discover-music/why-is-a-cd-74-minutes/
@@HowardHoMusic I know, right? I got chills as you were discussing the length of the symphony and had to pause to go look up the link. So incredibly meta.
@@fezmancomments VERY WRONG, sir! In Japan, they listen to Beethoven's 9th at Christmas the way westerners listen to Handel's Messiah, which is also not really Christmas music at all!
@@AnthonyFlack If a movie is set at Christmas time and plays Christmas music, does that make it a Christmas Movie? Yes, to some extent. But I’d still say that Die Hard isn’t a Christmas Story; Where is baby Jesus? Three Wise Men? Shepherds, King Herod, Journey to Egypt, Murder of the infant boys, Return to Glory and Immortality? One Good Guy who wins against the odds is really an Easter Story.
The first video in months that literally has made me cry about the beauty of hidden realities that only now have been articulated to me. You have made something that is vaguely very true explicit and clear.
Such fascinating insights, I always wondered why I was so entertained and so emotionally drawn in by the menace and eventual joy of this movie, the feel of it's depth and subtleties that you don't have time to analyse but tell the story so believably in each moment - thank you!
Great vid! You make music theory accessible to a newbie and your narrative deconstruction is delightful. Edit: I'd written this before I'd finished the video and wanted to add something. Great job explaining all the music/film history.
saw this today in theater with the vibrating seats. me and my brother, the only two in the theatre shocked that whoever is in charge of that did such a great job. ive used them before and the seats during a regular film feel like a novelty for the theatre to make a little extra cash. for Die Hard today, they took so much care. it was phenomenal. had to come back and watch this again since it really helped me appreciate the score even more today.
I love Die Hard -because- it tempers action with Christmas, love and the wonderful music. Plus, even though John McLane is heroic, he is not a superhero and gets hurt, both his ego and his body.
Thank you for making this!! I've been trying to explain to people for years how brilliant the score of this movie is. And there were so many great parts I hadn't realized. This is great!
The education of how the music was selected for example deep, dark, verboten pieces to play whilst the villins arrive or pull heavy's is amazing. The tapestry the music plays as the backdrop to the story is amazing in its selection , along with the story line, the cast, etc. This has enabled "Die Hard" to become a timeless, classic tale. BRAVO
It snowed in LA the day my parents got married. I watch Die Hard every year at Christmas time and yeah, it's a Christmas movie. Had no idea how much of a role the music played. Makes me love it even more.
Don't feel like editing my other comment. So I was a Best Buy recently and I saw a copy of Die Hard with a Christmas themed case cover and it made me laugh cuz I remembered this video.
Not one scene is wasted, not one word or action without later meaning - fists with your toes and glass, taking off the rolex symbolically ridding herself of Nakatomi whilst doubly ridding the Nemesis- a perfectly crafted piece of art that gives more and more each time you watch. That such geniuses came together to make this for us- that is the true Ode to Joy.
Just re-watched this on 4k the other day, and I always laugh because the music being played for the Christmas party is the SAME TRACK for at LEAST a half-hour, if not up to an hour in movie-time from the beginning to when Hans and crew show up. I just imagine the band being forced to replay the song over and over and they're all sitting there exhausted with a gun to their heads. Always make me giggle.
I appreciate the musical breakdown of the Christmas feelings in here. I've always also said it's a christmas movie, since if you break the plot down into it's standard elements, could it work as a story WITHOUT being at Christmas/Christmas Time/Christmas Eve. And the fact of the matter is, with how the plot goes down, the movie HAS to be set at Christmas time in order to work best.
God bless the UA-cam algorithm for bringing me this video. Amazing. I didn't realize how deep Kamen went with the score. Now I have to watch Die Hard again.
Dude, I owe you a HUGE debt of gratitude! For YEARS I have heard James Horner's style in the Powel Climax of this movie, but, of course, Horner, so far as I can tell, is uncredited. I have always wondered about that. For me, that moment in the music SCREAMS Star Trek II: The Wrath of Kahn, but I was never able to substantiate that ... until now. May you receive an extra Christmas blessing today, ONE MONTH after Christmas (January 25).
Coming in late, but this was such a good analysis! I came for the Hamilton videos but I would love to see more film score analysis from you. It's not just the subject matter, but your writing is SUPER tight and accessible. I'm so impressed by how deftly you weave your ideas in and out... much like a leitmotif, now that I think about it. Makes sense that the music expert's writing would itself be musical in a way.
This video is incredible! It's a brilliant introduction to and overview of the ninth by Ludwig Van... the way you peel back it's complexity alongside its use in the film is a delight for musical laymen and aficionado alike is worthy of a standing ovation. The way you reveal all the easter eggs (to use modern parlance), like the Turkish march... really just all of it! I had the pleasure of listening to the ninth at Walt Disney Concert hall a few times before the pandemic, and while I always thought it was cool to see people like Frank Gehry or Christopher Nolan in the audience, I know think how cool it is that I might have been seeing/listening to you as well! As a lifelong amateur fan of Beethoven, I saw thank you for this! Truly, bravo!!
This is interesting. Die Hard started my love for classical music as a kid. In the forefront was Beethoven's 9th, but now I wonder how much of it was also subliminally.
Great video, I loved it so much! I came here late to the game after being lured in by all your amazing Hamilton videos, so it feels kinda weird to point this out 2 years after this video was released, but at 14:33 you mention that the Japanese name for Ode to Joy is Daiku = Big Nine. While sound-wise yes, Dai can mean Big. However, the kanji (Chinese characters) for big is 大. The Dai used in the Ode to Joy is 第 (as you've put in your video correctly) which is a prefix for numbers ( jisho.org/word/%E7%AC%AC ). In other words, the Daiku is actually just short for the Ninth Symphony, basically just calling it The Ninth. But I totally get it calling it the Big Nine, especially since it really IS a huge thing in Japan and in a way, just calling it The Ninth and it making sense sorta implies The Big Nine feel to the nickname as well. I'm sorry if this felt nitpicky, I really mean no offense. Thank you for your awesome videos, I've listened to the Ode to Joy so many times and I've never even considered the reason for why the 9th takes on that Turkish feel in the middle, even though it's one of my favorite parts of the music!! I look forward to watching more of your awesome works!!!
Yeah, you are correct. I went with "Big" nine because it worked better with my explanation, but yes, you're right with the longer explanation of this word.
I watched Die Hard for the first time this year and I couldn’t decide if I was crazy for hearing all the Christmas music in the score 😂 This was the exact video I needed! Thank you for the work you do! 🤌
@@TheMelbournelad yeah but it's that people don't get it's a Christmas film..it's set at Christmas with Christmas references throughout. Permission to scold the team sir?
As if I didn't love Die Hard before this.. . I knew they weaved other songs in there but I didn't know the depth to which it went. Having characters essentially singing their own leitmotifs is something I didn't realize until you mentioned it, but what strikes me the most is just how critical the music is to this film and why we call it a masterpiece. Strip it out and replace it with a more generic soundtrack and you still have a taut action movie with great pacing, but this music and all the thought that went into it elevates the film in a way few others have. BTW, your detailed analysis of the ninth symphony has convinced me I need to go to my local symphony for the first time since I was a kid. Congratulations!
Thank you, Howard, for this wonderful video that is very entertaining and enlightening. I ran a movie theater when this film was released and saw it, mostly in small increments, many, many, times yet I still enjoy it to this day. I noticed some of the things you mentioned but I had no comprehensive view, which you do elegantly provide here. Thank you so much!
Wow.👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽 Amazing analysis, deepening the enjoyment of a well loved piece of film history. This is what youtube is for. Minus the commercials for phone games
I try to get all my soundtracks from either La La Land, Intrada, or Varese Sarabande labels (and Film Score Monthly before they stopped releasing soundtracks). These labels do a thorough job with movie scores and embarrass the actual studios. Their restoration/mastering and liner notes are often unbeatable.
With all of the commentary and opinion videos from random people on the internet (who's knowledge and options are often worthless - but they're still posting on the internet), I was very hesitant to click on another half hour video. It turns out that this video was very well researched and presented. You dove deep into the music of the movie, and I have a new admiration of this film. It's more of a work of art than I had ever thought of.
I'm not sure how I'm only seeing this now! Beautifully done, I like the insight, the detailed explanation, and the pacing. Die Hard is my number 1 film and i've bored my friends and family to death over its detail. (btw there's another amazing video detailing Hans Gruber and his motivations, how they're shown on the screen which is well worth checking out) I've always loved Ode to Joy, but now i feel I've come away with a much deeper understanding. Thank you
BAHAHAHA the wilhelm scream XD ya... i watched it all the way through... man you did a fantastic job on this, had no idea there was so much packed into die hard that is hidden in there
Wow, this video blew my mind about how McTiernan understand Beethoven and Ode to Joy. Since McTiernan said he thought of his movies as having musical structures, can you also analyze his other great movies like Predator?
Awesome video! I finally got my girlfriend to watch Die Hard these past 2 Christmases. She's a music nut so I'm gonna show her this video in December to make her want to watch it a 3rd time in a row! 😆
Great analysis. At the time Run DMC's Christmas song was not a "classic" Christmas song. It is now. It was new. Mclane's prejudice was not in play. All he hears is the opening which sounds like a horn section if the tape was started when the jingling bells begin he would think Christmas but when they start rapping, his prejudice would appear. He might say "Don't you have any real Christmas Music?
Brilliant, Brilliant, Brilliant!!! I have always believed, and promoted this movie as the greatest Christmas Movie of all time, and I am a musical fan of the soundtrack as well. I played the piano when I was a kid, and studied classical music extensively. Beethoven's 9th is one of my favorites(the complete score, not just 'Ode to Joy'), and I recognized it throughout the film, but I didn't see just how extensive the music selection is used in the movie until you made this video. Thank you, immensely! I didn't even recognize the other themes until you pointed them out. It is a joy to watch this movie again just for the music alone, and there are far better soundtracks I have known than this one. This movie belongs on the Hallmark Channel, for it is also the greatest Rom Com movie as well, thanks to your expose of this film. Take a bow Sir! You have shown the true genius of the the musical mind, as well as the spirit of Christmas! Bravo!! P.S. Second Greatest Christmas Movie: Trading Places with Eddie Murphy. Check it out!
So far, at the 4:00 mark, I am quite content to listen on. But I must point out that Powell says that he's buying Twinkies for his pregnant wife, but that notion is strongly subverted later in the movie. The suggestion is that he only SAYS that he's buying the good for his bride, but he's actually looking for a late-night snack.
0:00 The Theme of John McClane's BS Defined
3:13 The Meaning of Let It Snow
4:29 The Meaning of Run DMC's Christmas in Hollis
6:01 The Antagonists: The Japanese Represented by a String Quartet
7:46 The Antagonists: The Terrorists Represented by Beethoven
8:17 Beethoven's Ninth Symphony Explained
10:50 Recitative of the Pacific Courier Truck
12:33 The Seed that Michael Kamen Plants
13:21 The Ode to Joy Around the World
14:53 Ode to Joy at the Nakatomi Party
16:15 Hans Sings the Ode to Joy
17:16 Why Not Wagner Instead? Answer: A Clockwork Orange
18:26 Theo Sings and Karl Dances
20:06 The Meaning of the Ode to Joy
22:54 Why Ode to Joy Represents Hans? Answer: Perverted Idealism
23:43 Ode to Freedom Concert
24:26 Winter Wonderland
24:59 Christmas Ending Setup
26:24 James Horner's Magic
27:00 John McClane Deals with His BS
no need to convince me I 100% agree
Holy cow, not only is it a Christmas movie, it is a Christmas musical.
Yup...thank you for seeing light!
You have managed to make me love Die Hard even more! I watch Die Hard every Christmas. Thank you for this awesome video!
Man, you really know how to take one on a rewarding detour, that backround on the 9th was fantastic!
Silent Night was written in 1818 for... wait for it... St Nicholas Church. The writer... Franz Gruber.
The lead villain in Die Hard... Hans Gruber, who with all the explosives was not about a silent night.
Can’t make it up.
Nice. Fun fact: the truck they arrive in is called Pacific Courier, which means messenger of peace.
Touché.
Love your Hamilton work. Cheers
🤯Jesus Christ in the manger the synchronicities just keep piling up regardless.!
This video also really cements how the first Die Hard was in a whole different league than the sequels
The third one was good. Not in the same league, but good.
id say great @@jimbarino2
Both great. Odd numbers and 3 is the magic number. Oh yes it is. 😮🤣🤣🤣👍👍👍❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥
I know this is 9 months late to comment on. This is probably the most compelling argument for Die Hard being a Christmas movie I have ever seen... good job.
Actually, this comment will be relevant every year around December!
@@HowardHoMusic Ha ha. And the Theme is relevant all year, every year.
@@HowardHoMusic Right after December 2021 - I cannot agree more! :)
Now can we push for Lethal Weapon also being considered as a Christmas movie?
I've always been a Die Hard fan (hehe), so I was surprised by your defense of Die Hard as a Christmas movie. And, boy, you just unloaded with so much evidence and behind-the-scenes goodies that I never knew, making me love Die Hard even more. Thank you so much for this!
My pleasure! And that's all I ask...that people check out the argument, not that they agree.
I had no idea there was any dispute. I thought everybody knew it was a Christmas movie. I don't know where this idea started that it isn't. Has Bruce Willis not actually watched Die Hard?
Even Jesus loved this film
@@shaz2761
It's Zeus!
This is the greatest analysis I’ve ever seen of Die Hard and really helps elevate the movie as a layered artistic work. I have always loved Die Hard and the classical music that was used, but I always thought of it as just a juxtaposition of the brutal basic mechanics of an action movie and the complicated drama of a hostage crisis. I knew the hostages were just a red herring, as the terrorists were later proven to be “exceptional thieves”, but I could never truly make the connection that the movie was deeper than it portrayed itself despite feeling like it was deeper.
Thank you for the insight and your inspired research into Die Hard: the musical.
I always knew Die Hard was a great movie, but I never realized how truly BRILLIANT it is!
This is amazing, thanks for explaining to the non-believers and further reaffirming my love of this holiday classic. I really appreciate the extra layer of Beethoven you’ve shown me and I’m watching Die Hard again now to catch it all.
I can think of one other reason why Wagner would be the wrong choice: Hans and co. are not ideologues. In the original novel, the villains were actually ideological terrorists. Wagner playing over German criminals would suggest they were Nazis with some sort of racial motivation. Since they are in fact apolitical thieves, it’s more appropriate to use a song that has, as you point out, been associated with causes across the political spectrum.
Good point. Die Hard stays fresh partly, because the villains can't be easily demonized like that.
The implied back story of the terrorists is that they started out as left-wing ideologues who eventually degenerated into nothing more than violent thugs out to get rich AND disappear from the radars of all the world's security services who were hunting them (like Interpol) by faking their own violent deaths.
Also:
Marco is Italian
Uli is Chinese
Theo is American
Eddie is American
Franco is French
Not entirely sure Karl is German, since he can't understand Hans when he says "Schieß dem Fenster", even though his brother is speaking German when he shouts "Nein! Nein! Warte noch!" and gives himself directions: "Links. Rechts. Und wieder links." But then again, it may be because of the adrenalin rush that he didn't understand Hans immediately.
@@bloodymarvelous4790 IIRC, none of the german is intelligible. Whether on purpose or just not necessary since the actions show the dialogue's meaning clearly.
Worth noting that Wagner was a leftie.
RIP the brilliant Alan Rickman. Gone too soon. Hans Gruber will always be my favourite bad guy
Notice on the rooftop shootout how Alexander Godunov walks almost like hes in tune with his Aug. They took a ballet dancer and made him a lethal killing machine. I love it when they take a guy from a walk in life like that and use them in a movie like Die Hard. The worlds come together, the music just makes this whole movie a one of a kind action-opera.
In tune with his aug?
Completely concur. I thought he was a panther stalking his prey… just smooth and flowing.
@@quebrandomitos5910 His rifle model is a Steyr AUG.
@@exceptionvideo thanks a lot!
RIP Alan Rickman
I feel the need to say it.
Indeed. He is greatly missed.
Truly spectacular video! I thoroughly enjoyed it. One of life’s great pleasures is to see a piece of art that you enjoy anyway revealed to be even more complex and carefully created than you at first realised. You’ve done that here in spades!
Holly Gennero.
Holly. That Christmas bush of green and red.
Gennero. Can be translated to January, essentially Winter, that begins near Christmas and the month days after Christmas.
Argyle.
Contrasting colors like Red and Green, Christmas colors. In diamond shapes, a valuable gem, like family.
Holly got a present of a Rolex. Commercialism v. family values and the true meaning of Christmas (Peanuts reference).
Same can be said for the reporter putting his career over the McClane family when he uses them.
The whole job that can be done anywhere and reunion of love is pure Hallmark channel Christmas movie stuff.
Nicely done!
It should be noted that the Rolex was bought by Ellis, aka the coke head sleeze ball who was clearly into Holly and hitting on her. And don't forget that, when John breaks Hans's last grip sending him falling, the cut right before that shows the Rolex breaking apart, and Hans's hand slipping away.
So, the Rolex breaking away both symbolizes the business world and Ellis's weird hold over Holly, and John breaking it away means he broke her free from said hold, and Hans's other business hold (if you wanna say that), and was able to bring her back to him. And what do the 2 of them do right after Hans (the bad business) and the broken watch (the not bad but still commercial AF business) fall to their demise? Kiss.
Very sophisticated analysis of a very sophisticated musical score.
This brings back so many memories. In the mid-80's, Japan was the LOOMING THREAT that was gonna eat up America. And my all-time favorite 80's plot device was the baddies wanting "untraceable" bearer bonds. These are physical items printed on ginormous sheets of paper, and you really need at least a Radio Flyer wagon to move them around. Can you pay for a cab ride or Holland Tunnel toll with a bearer bond? Make it rain in a strip club? How about cashing a bearer bond at a bank teller window? All you can DO with them is store them in vaults.
But thank you Howard for the explication of Beethoven's Ninth. I recognized the Ode to Joy, of course, but the theme usage throughout the film never registered 'til now. There is a Ninth Symphony/Japan link that you may not have known - the length of this symphony was directly responsible for the development of the industry standards for the original compact disc. In Japan. www.classicfm.com/discover-music/why-is-a-cd-74-minutes/
Oh dang. That's so cool!
@@HowardHoMusic I know, right? I got chills as you were discussing the length of the symphony and had to pause to go look up the link. So incredibly meta.
This is just amazing. I had no idea the 9th was so ingrained in Japan of all places.
These people who say that Die Hard is not a Christmas movie do not understand anything about Christmas
Seriously so many so called “Christmas movies” have almost nothing to do with Christmas “white Christmas” “It’s a wonderful life”
The only thing “Christmassy” about Die Hard is that it’s on Christmas Eve.
@@fezmancomments VERY WRONG, sir! In Japan, they listen to Beethoven's 9th at Christmas the way westerners listen to Handel's Messiah, which is also not really Christmas music at all!
@@fezmancomments - why do you think they decided to make it happen on Christmas Eve?
@@AnthonyFlack If a movie is set at Christmas time and plays Christmas music, does that make it a Christmas Movie? Yes, to some extent. But I’d still say that Die Hard isn’t a Christmas Story; Where is baby Jesus? Three Wise Men? Shepherds, King Herod, Journey to Egypt, Murder of the infant boys, Return to Glory and Immortality?
One Good Guy who wins against the odds is really an Easter Story.
You've got great content, but this episode is on another level.
So insightful.
And convincing, at least for me.
Die Hard is a Christmas movie
Excellent analysis. One of the most in-depth film analysis' I've ever seen. Great job. Well done.
11:45 The low bass version was played quietly when Hans and Theo first found the vault. Awesome analysis!
The first video in months that literally has made me cry about the beauty of hidden realities that only now have been articulated to me. You have made something that is vaguely very true explicit and clear.
Wow, what a breakdown. I didn't know Die Hard had an extra musical dimension and my mind is blown !
Such fascinating insights, I always wondered why I was so entertained and so emotionally drawn in by the menace and eventual joy of this movie, the feel of it's depth and subtleties that you don't have time to analyse but tell the story so believably in each moment - thank you!
Great vid! You make music theory accessible to a newbie and your narrative deconstruction is delightful.
Edit: I'd written this before I'd finished the video and wanted to add something. Great job explaining all the music/film history.
saw this today in theater with the vibrating seats. me and my brother, the only two in the theatre shocked that whoever is in charge of that did such a great job. ive used them before and the seats during a regular film feel like a novelty for the theatre to make a little extra cash. for Die Hard today, they took so much care. it was phenomenal. had to come back and watch this again since it really helped me appreciate the score even more today.
Ohhhhh...sounds like the ideal way to watch it!
I love Die Hard -because- it tempers action with Christmas, love and the wonderful music. Plus, even though John McLane is heroic, he is not a superhero and gets hurt, both his ego and his body.
You have officially won this Christmas!
Yaaaaas
Was so lucky to see this in the movie theater, the summer before starting college. Such a great film at such a fun time in life.
Thank you for making this!! I've been trying to explain to people for years how brilliant the score of this movie is. And there were so many great parts I hadn't realized. This is great!
The education of how the music was selected for example deep, dark, verboten pieces to play whilst the villins arrive or pull heavy's is amazing. The tapestry the music plays as the backdrop to the story is amazing in its selection , along with the story line, the cast, etc. This has enabled "Die Hard" to become a timeless, classic tale. BRAVO
It snowed in LA the day my parents got married. I watch Die Hard every year at Christmas time and yeah, it's a Christmas movie. Had no idea how much of a role the music played. Makes me love it even more.
This is astonishing! The amount of joy (no pun intended) you bring by disecting the music of an action christmass movie is unbelievable! thank you!
FUCKING HELL WHAT A VIDEO!
This might be my new favorite video on the entire platform
Whoa, thanks!
Your thoroughness and analysis is nothing short of stunning!
A voice on the plane in the beginning says have a merry Christmas lol, love this
I love these little tidbits on Die Hard. You truly showed how in sync/Important the music was and wasn't just simple added in
Thank you SO Much for this brilliant analysis. Just watched it yesterday at the cinema.
Don't feel like editing my other comment.
So I was a Best Buy recently and I saw a copy of Die Hard with a Christmas themed case cover and it made me laugh cuz I remembered this video.
The more comments, the merrier! Thanks for the merchandise spotting!
Not one scene is wasted, not one word or action without later meaning - fists with your toes and glass, taking off the rolex symbolically ridding herself of Nakatomi whilst doubly ridding the Nemesis- a perfectly crafted piece of art that gives more and more each time you watch. That such geniuses came together to make this for us- that is the true Ode to Joy.
Just re-watched this on 4k the other day, and I always laugh because the music being played for the Christmas party is the SAME TRACK for at LEAST a half-hour, if not up to an hour in movie-time from the beginning to when Hans and crew show up. I just imagine the band being forced to replay the song over and over and they're all sitting there exhausted with a gun to their heads. Always make me giggle.
Hilarious!
I have heard tell of a string quartet being forced to play Pachelbel's Canon for an entire 4-hour wedding reception.
Really terrific job, my friend. Insightful, calculated, structured, revelatory, and filled with love… just like the film.
Well done!!
I appreciate the musical breakdown of the Christmas feelings in here.
I've always also said it's a christmas movie, since if you break the plot down into it's standard elements, could it work as a story WITHOUT being at Christmas/Christmas Time/Christmas Eve.
And the fact of the matter is, with how the plot goes down, the movie HAS to be set at Christmas time in order to work best.
God bless the UA-cam algorithm for bringing me this video. Amazing. I didn't realize how deep Kamen went with the score. Now I have to watch Die Hard again.
Dude, I owe you a HUGE debt of gratitude! For YEARS I have heard James Horner's style in the Powel Climax of this movie, but, of course, Horner, so far as I can tell, is uncredited. I have always wondered about that. For me, that moment in the music SCREAMS Star Trek II: The Wrath of Kahn, but I was never able to substantiate that ... until now. May you receive an extra Christmas blessing today, ONE MONTH after Christmas (January 25).
Coming in late, but this was such a good analysis! I came for the Hamilton videos but I would love to see more film score analysis from you. It's not just the subject matter, but your writing is SUPER tight and accessible. I'm so impressed by how deftly you weave your ideas in and out... much like a leitmotif, now that I think about it. Makes sense that the music expert's writing would itself be musical in a way.
This video is incredible! It's a brilliant introduction to and overview of the ninth by Ludwig Van... the way you peel back it's complexity alongside its use in the film is a delight for musical laymen and aficionado alike is worthy of a standing ovation. The way you reveal all the easter eggs (to use modern parlance), like the Turkish march... really just all of it! I had the pleasure of listening to the ninth at Walt Disney Concert hall a few times before the pandemic, and while I always thought it was cool to see people like Frank Gehry or Christopher Nolan in the audience, I know think how cool it is that I might have been seeing/listening to you as well! As a lifelong amateur fan of Beethoven, I saw thank you for this! Truly, bravo!!
Another reason why DieHard is such an awesome movie.
It has taken every single detail to near perfection.
#XmasMovieYES
#bestACTIONmovie
#familyMOVIE.
Thank you! Bookmarking this for the yearly Die-Hard-Christmas-discourse!
This is interesting. Die Hard started my love for classical music as a kid. In the forefront was Beethoven's 9th, but now I wonder how much of it was also subliminally.
The revelations on this video gave me chills several times. Thank you, it deserves much more views, I'll do my part!
Thanks for sharing this!
This deserves six-figure views. Great job.
Great video, I loved it so much! I came here late to the game after being lured in by all your amazing Hamilton videos, so it feels kinda weird to point this out 2 years after this video was released, but at 14:33 you mention that the Japanese name for Ode to Joy is Daiku = Big Nine. While sound-wise yes, Dai can mean Big. However, the kanji (Chinese characters) for big is 大. The Dai used in the Ode to Joy is 第 (as you've put in your video correctly) which is a prefix for numbers ( jisho.org/word/%E7%AC%AC ). In other words, the Daiku is actually just short for the Ninth Symphony, basically just calling it The Ninth.
But I totally get it calling it the Big Nine, especially since it really IS a huge thing in Japan and in a way, just calling it The Ninth and it making sense sorta implies The Big Nine feel to the nickname as well. I'm sorry if this felt nitpicky, I really mean no offense. Thank you for your awesome videos, I've listened to the Ode to Joy so many times and I've never even considered the reason for why the 9th takes on that Turkish feel in the middle, even though it's one of my favorite parts of the music!! I look forward to watching more of your awesome works!!!
Yeah, you are correct. I went with "Big" nine because it worked better with my explanation, but yes, you're right with the longer explanation of this word.
I watched Die Hard for the first time this year and I couldn’t decide if I was crazy for hearing all the Christmas music in the score 😂 This was the exact video I needed! Thank you for the work you do! 🤌
You're not crazy at all!!
Welcome to the party pal!
Why would u think u were crazy? weird comment
@@jamesbyrne9312 well for someone somehow coming into die hard fresh maybe being told it’s JUST an action movie, it would spin your brain
@@TheMelbournelad yeah but it's that people don't get it's a Christmas film..it's set at Christmas with Christmas references throughout. Permission to scold the team sir?
As if I didn't love Die Hard before this.. . I knew they weaved other songs in there but I didn't know the depth to which it went. Having characters essentially singing their own leitmotifs is something I didn't realize until you mentioned it, but what strikes me the most is just how critical the music is to this film and why we call it a masterpiece. Strip it out and replace it with a more generic soundtrack and you still have a taut action movie with great pacing, but this music and all the thought that went into it elevates the film in a way few others have.
BTW, your detailed analysis of the ninth symphony has convinced me I need to go to my local symphony for the first time since I was a kid. Congratulations!
Deeply enjoyed
Brilliant analysis coupled with excellent editing. It is pure joy!
One of the most underrated scores of all time.
Agreed!
“The Ode To Joy as been used in many films.”
*Immortal Beloved is listed.*
Well I sure hope so.
IT WAS DECLARED A CHRISTMAS MOVIE AT THE FIRST COUNCIL OF NICEA READ YOUR CHURCH HISTORY I CAN'T BELIEVE I HAVE TO GET ANGRY ABOUT THIS!
Thank you for showing me wonderful things about a movie I already thought was wonderful.
I think that I need to see this film! Thank you.
this is the best and most enjoyable music lesson i have ever sat through. thank you for uploading.
Haha, thank you for saying that! Ultimately, that was my goal, to talk about the phenomenal score.
Thank you, Howard, for this wonderful video that is very entertaining and enlightening. I ran a movie theater when this film was released and saw it, mostly in small increments, many, many, times yet I still enjoy it to this day. I noticed some of the things you mentioned but I had no comprehensive view, which you do elegantly provide here. Thank you so much!
This was Brilliantly well written, thank you so much for this. :)
Wow, I thought I knew both the symphony and the movie pretty well, but I learned so much about both, you blew my mind! Thanks for this awesome video!
Wow.👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
Amazing analysis, deepening the enjoyment of a well loved piece of film history.
This is what youtube is for.
Minus the commercials for phone games
Found on eBay the great 3cd edition,,, just great to listen to!
I try to get all my soundtracks from either La La Land, Intrada, or Varese Sarabande labels (and Film Score Monthly before they stopped releasing soundtracks). These labels do a thorough job with movie scores and embarrass the actual studios. Their restoration/mastering and liner notes are often unbeatable.
Wish I could thumbs-up this a dozen more times...
I love this thesis/analysis, every few months I see it and I love it more and more.
Excellent video essay! BRAVO!!!
With all of the commentary and opinion videos from random people on the internet (who's knowledge and options are often worthless - but they're still posting on the internet), I was very hesitant to click on another half hour video.
It turns out that this video was very well researched and presented. You dove deep into the music of the movie, and I have a new admiration of this film. It's more of a work of art than I had ever thought of.
Really enjoyed this video, thanks for the excellent analysis.
Amazing video and thoughts. I instantly subscribed. Thank you Howard!
Cheers,
B
Sweet, thanks for the sub!
Woowww!!! That was absolutely fascinating!!! Bravo!!
Superb video and great analysis of one of my favourite Christmas movies of all time! 👏
Ho ho ho! 🎅
This changes so much on my thoughts about Die Hard!
I can't believe how much I learn from you. Thank you.
I'm not sure how I'm only seeing this now! Beautifully done, I like the insight, the detailed explanation, and the pacing. Die Hard is my number 1 film and i've bored my friends and family to death over its detail. (btw there's another amazing video detailing Hans Gruber and his motivations, how they're shown on the screen which is well worth checking out) I've always loved Ode to Joy, but now i feel I've come away with a much deeper understanding. Thank you
Glad you mentioned the James Horner score at the end.. I always wondered why that was in there
CC @Howard Ho
I recognized that fragment immediately upon first viewing because Horner repurposed that theme in "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan"
BAHAHAHA the wilhelm scream XD
ya... i watched it all the way through... man you did a fantastic job on this, had no idea there was so much packed into die hard that is hidden in there
yo the trifecta prejudice portion was so gangster. i love this vid lol
Great video. Very interesting interpretation. And yeah! It's a Christmas movie! (gosh, folks... you know it is.)
My... Life... Is... Enriched (Better, more joyful, informed, etc.) from having watched this video! THANK YOU!!!!
Fascinating! Kudos to you. Loved this!
You've convinced me! Ho Ho Ho! Well done!
Welcome to the party, pal!
Wow, that was a beautiful breakdown of this movie musical score excellent 👌
That was friggin awesome!! Thank you!
Wow, this video blew my mind about how McTiernan understand Beethoven and Ode to Joy. Since McTiernan said he thought of his movies as having musical structures, can you also analyze his other great movies like Predator?
Very tempting. I'd probably be most interested in Hunt for Red October.
This is one of my favorite video on UA-cam
This was a very entertaining and exceptionally well thought musical analysis of the movie. Props.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!! Best thing to see on Christmas!
Awesome video! I finally got my girlfriend to watch Die Hard these past 2 Christmases.
She's a music nut so I'm gonna show her this video in December to make her want to watch it a 3rd time in a row! 😆
Haha...YES! Another convert!
I love being in a world where people can gift such exceptional analysis
of iconic cultural fayre. Diehard is a christmas film!!
Bad ass level: singing your own theme song
Great analysis. At the time Run DMC's Christmas song was not a "classic" Christmas song. It is now. It was new. Mclane's prejudice was not in play. All he hears is the opening which sounds like a horn section if the tape was started when the jingling bells begin he would think Christmas but when they start rapping, his prejudice would appear. He might say "Don't you have any real Christmas Music?
Okay, that's fair.
Brilliant, Brilliant, Brilliant!!! I have always believed, and promoted this movie as the greatest Christmas Movie of all time, and I am a musical fan of the soundtrack as well. I played the piano when I was a kid, and studied classical music extensively. Beethoven's 9th is one of my favorites(the complete score, not just 'Ode to Joy'), and I recognized it throughout the film, but I didn't see just how extensive the music selection is used in the movie until you made this video. Thank you, immensely!
I didn't even recognize the other themes until you pointed them out. It is a joy to watch this movie again just for the music alone, and there are far better soundtracks I have known than this one. This movie belongs on the Hallmark Channel, for it is also the greatest Rom Com movie as well, thanks to your expose of this film.
Take a bow Sir! You have shown the true genius of the the musical mind, as well as the spirit of Christmas! Bravo!!
P.S. Second Greatest Christmas Movie: Trading Places with Eddie Murphy. Check it out!
Haha...Trading Places also has some nice classical music references too!
So far, at the 4:00 mark, I am quite content to listen on. But I must point out that Powell says that he's buying Twinkies for his pregnant wife, but that notion is strongly subverted later in the movie. The suggestion is that he only SAYS that he's buying the good for his bride, but he's actually looking for a late-night snack.