 A film in three minutes. Die Hard. When it comes to the joyous time of year that is Christmas, it's often easy to forget the true meaning that lies behind all of the festive fun. American consumerism, gaudy decorations, the celebration of the birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, all of these things get muddled up and confused with what the real meaning of Christmas has always been about, and that meaning is John McTiernan's 1988 masterpiece Die Hard. The story follows New York cop John McClane, played by Bruce Willis, who travels to Los Angeles in order to try and save his failing marriage and you know what, if you don't know the story of Die Hard by now, then I really can't help you. I just can't. But what makes Die Hard stand out as the ultimate Christmas movie is how beautiful its design is, with a script tailor-made to deliver the perfect festive experience for the whole family. Paying homage to festive classics such as Frank Capra's It's a Wonderful Life, director McTiernan and screenwriters Jeb Stewart and Stephen De Souza create a protagonist that fits perfectly into the mould of the typical Christmas hero, revealing to us a man riddled by doubt and insecurity, but who eventually discovers the true meaning of the Christmas holiday after a harrowing journey. Willis would go on record later as saying that James Stewart's performance as George Bailey was the basis for his gritty portrayal of the now iconic New York police officer and we can see the similarities between the two characters even more when watching the sequels. The action set pieces are spectacular to behold and are taken straight out of any classic Christmas fairy tale, perfectly blending in a subtle message of seasons greetings, peace on earth and goodwill to all men that Die Hard typifies. McClane's interactions with Sergeant Powell and the FBI agents Johnson and Johnson is an analogy of the free wise men, with Willis portrayed throughout as a sort of Christlike figure come to wash away the sins of the German terrorists and humanity itself. Also noteworthy too is the performance from Alan Rickman as the lead terrorist Hans Gruber, whose stoic almost esoteric acting is a representation and embodiment of the atheist community, showing us as the audience the true coldness and bitterness such people have in their hearts over this holiday period. This combined with Michael Caiman's electrifying orchestral score, the incredible production design of Nakatomi Plaza and of course the litany of light-hearted Christmas moments which fill us all with festive cheer makes Die Hard unique among Christmas movies. A film that warms your heart just as much as it gets your blood pumping and reminds us that no matter whatever your beliefs may be, no one who's trapped in a building filled with heavily armed terrorists should ever be alone for Christmas. Quite frankly, I think that's a message that anyone could get behind.