There’s a good reason Hans Gruber’s death looks so realistic in Die Hard. The Bruce Willis classic left a lasting mark on cinema, setting the standard for 1980s action movies and triggering a 5-movie franchise that never quite managed to recapture the magic of the original. Die Hard also succeeded in starting a decades-long debate about what constitutes a Christmas movie. Among the many elements that have kept Die Hard relevant over the years are Bruce Willis’ grizzled performance, the spectacular stunts and set pieces, and of course, Alan Rickman on villain duty as Hans Gruber. With the iconic Nakatomi Plaza as his battleground, Willis’ John McClane becomes a lone hero when Alan Rickman’s Die Hard character attacks the skyscraper intending to steal millions in bonds.
Fighting single-handed through Gruber’s various henchmen and assisted by Sgt. Powell on the outside, McClane manages to shoot his way to the top and wound Hans Gruber with one of his last bullets. Rickman’s villain is left dangling from the top of the tower, clutching onto the hero’s wife, and dramatically falls to his death in slow-motion when Die Hard‘s John McClane removes Holly’s watch and breaks Gruber’s grip, resulting in Hans Gruber falling (now one of the most iconic scenes in action movie history). Compared to modern effects, the LA backdrop below Gruber looks a little rough around the edges, with a blue background used during filming and replaced with a city landscape in post-production. Fortunately, any flaw in the 1988 pre-CGI visuals can be overlooked, as the audience is directed to focus entirely on the Hans Gruber Die Hard character’s horrified facial expression. Here’s why the Die Hard Hans Gruber death still holds up over three decades on.
Alan Rickman’s Shock Was Genuine
While no one could argue that Rickman is one of the finest actors to ever grace the big screen, there’s a lot more to the punch of the Hans Gruber death scene than just acting talent and years of stage experience. Although the actor recalls producers being uneasy about the prospect, Harry Potter actor Alan Rickman agreed to do the fall scene himself when asked by director, John McTiernan, looking to add authenticity to the death. Rickman was rigged to be dropped backward onto a blue crash mat on the count of 3, however, Die Hard stunt coordinator, Charlie Picerni, devised a plan to drop Rickman at “one” in order to provoke a genuine reaction of shock. Whether by design or fortunate coincidence, this was the final scene Die Hard filmed, meaning any protests Rickman might’ve made about being dropped 2 seconds too early wouldn’t have caused any problems, and nor would any injuries that came as a result.
Special effects foreman, Thaine Morris, claims that while Rickman was unhurt, he wasn’t best pleased about the deception (although the actor would speak fondly of the Hans Gruber Die Hard stunt in later years). Looking back, there was certainly a method in the Die Hard movie stunt team’s madness. Even though Rickman agreed to Hans Gruber falling, dropping a famous actor 40ft backward from a high platform is not something that can easily be done twice, so McTiernan needed to get Gruber’s death right first time if possible. This might explain why the decision was made to drop Rickman a beat quicker than he expected, and the legacy of the villain’s dramatic demise arguably justifies the behind-the-scenes trick, even if it did upset one of Britain’s best actors in the immediate aftermath.
The Fake Background Has Become Endearing
When CGI first made its way onto the playing field, many found the visual effects of the past to be an ugly distraction. However, enough time has passed that the Hans Gruber falling scene, along with its outwardly fake background, has become endearing. Die Hard is over 30 years old now, meaning that like fellow late 80s/early 90s spectacle-fest Jurassic Park, the pre-CGI effects look dated today. That being said, movie effects of the past, such as Star Wars elaborately painted backgrounds or the aforementioned Jurassic Park’s animatronics, have become a sort of kitschy remembrance. The dated Die Hard backdrop as Hans Gruber falls seems to have gained this endearing fondness from audiences, too. Many popular films of the era underwent some computerized remastering in the years since, but Die Hard fans hardly, if ever, call for one. Since Alan Rickman’s priceless reaction is the sole focus of the scene, it’s easy to forgive the overtly fake background. The dated movie effects are now so dated they bring about a sense of feel-good nostalgia, rather than being viewed as a mild annoyance as they were in the late ’90s and ’00s. So, in the grand scheme of things, the Hans Gruber Die Hard death scene will ultimately be remembered for Rickman’s reaction, rather than the fake background.
