I watched Die Hard for the nth time this evening with the thought in mind of determining whether it is a Christmas film. I am now convinced it is not a “Christmas Movie.”
It is a fun adventure film, a caper film, even a cops-and-robbers film, but not a Christmas movie. It is not about Christmas and things unique to Christmas.
Setting the action at Christmastime is merely a plot device to answer the question why there was an evening party in the building and also why a separated husband and father cop would have traveled from NYC to SoCal to see his ex at said party.
Several films of this era (ca.1988) reflect a widely shared view Japan would end up owning nearly everything. Aren’t we happy they did not? Perhaps the China-as-world-hegemon trope will wither and die as well, if we can avoid going to war before that occurs.
