Original subtitles

This is Richard Thornburg live from Century City.

Tonight, Los Angeles has joined

the sad and worldwide fraternity of cities

whose only membership requirement

is to suffer the anguish of international terrorism.

Approximately two hours ago, an unidentified group of men

seized control of the Nakatomi building,

sealing off all entrances and exits.

All telephone lines have been cut

and the only communication now possible

has been through the use of CB communicators

which the group apparently brought with them.

According to official sources,

the perpetrators of this building siege...

Unit five, hold your position in the main entrance.

We got Charlie unit in position

by the parking structure.

Let me ask you something.

Does this stairway go up to the escalator?

Yeah.

Tell them to go ahead.

What's going on?

What's it look like? We're going in.

Going in? Man, that's crazy!

There could be over 30 hostages in there for all we know.

We don't know shit, Powell.

If there's hostages, how come there were no ransom demands?

If there's terrorists in there, where's their list of demands?

All we know is that somebody shot your car up.

It's probably the same silly son of a bitch

you've been talking to on that radio.

Excuse me, sir,

but what about the body that fell out the window?

Probably some stockbroker got depressed.

We're ready, Chief.

- Light 'em up. Let's go. - Hit your lights.

- Blue units, go. - Lights on!

Powell?

Powell, you still with me, babe? What's going on?

Yo, Al.

I'm here, Roy, but I'm kind of busy right now.

I'll talk to you later.

Al, what's wrong?

I'll talk to you later.

If you are what I think you are,

you'll know when to listen, shut up, and

and when to pray.

Jesus Christ! You're coming in, right?

Christ, Powell,

I told you what kind of people you're dealing with here.

Let's load them up.

They'll be coming. Everyone get ready.

Theo, you are the eyes now.

- Rivers. - "Yo."

Begin your reconnoiter.

Let's go.

Shit!

Come on. Let's go.

Ow! Jesus!

All right, spread out.

Shut up.

Let's go.

You macho assholes. No! No!

Ahem... all right. Listen up, guys.

'Twas the night before Christmas

and all through the house

not a creature was stirring, except

the four assholes coming in the rear in standard

two-by-two cover formation.

We're all set.

We're ready.

Kick ass.

Go!

Right. Let's do it.

Take cover!

They're shooting at 'em.

It's panic fire. They can't see anything.

They're shooting at the lights.

They're going after the lights. Call them back.

It's not happening.

Mike, burn it.

Don't be impatient.

Just wound them.

Get them back. They're sitting ducks without lights.

They're almost in.

Send in the car.

Send in the car.

Jesus Christ!

Rivers, Rodriguez, report.

Wait a minute. What have we here, gentlemen?

The police have themselves an RV.

Southeast corner.

Oh, Jesus Christ.

Get back! Get the fuck back!

Get over there.

Schnell! Schnell!

Mach schnell!

Weiter! Weiter! Weiter!

Mach schnell! Mach schnell!

Weiter!

Mach los! Mach los!

I see him!

- Fire! - Clear!

Oh, my God! The quarterback is toast!

Hang on, Rivers. That's an order.

Hit it again.

All right, you motherfucker, you made your point!

Let them pull back!

Thank you, Mr. Cowboy. I'll take it under advisement.

Hit it

again.

Fire.

Fuck me.

Get them out of the car! They're burning!

Fuck it.

Mach schnell! Mach los!

Let's see you take this under advisement, jerkweed.

Geronimo, motherfucker.

Oh, shit!

They're using artillery on us!

You idiot, it's not the police.

It's him.

Holy shit.

My God!

- Tell me you got that. - I got it.

Eat your heart out, Channel Five.

We've had an update

on the terrorist takeover of the Nakatomi building.

Sources say the terrorist leader, Hans,

maybe this man... Hans Gruber.

A member of the radical West German Volksfrei movement.

Strangely, the Volksfrei leadership issued a communiqu� an hour ago

stating that Gruber had been expelled from that organization.

Al, do you copy?

Are you all right?

Yeah, I'm fine.

W-what was that?

Remember that plastic explosive I told you about?

There you go. Is the building on fire?

No, but it's gonna need a paintjob

and a shitload of screen doors.

Our spotter said you got two with that blast.

- Is that him? - Yes, sir.

I don't know who you think you are

but you just destroyed a building.

We do not want your help. Is that clear?

We don't want your help.

I've got 100 people down here, and they're covered with glass.

Glass? Who gives a shit about glass?

Who the fuck is this?

This is Deputy Chief of Police Dwayne T Robinson

and I am in charge of this situation.

Oh, you're in charge?

I got some bad news for you, Dwayne.

From up here it doesn't look like you're in charge of shit.

Listen to me, you little asshole...

Asshole?

I'm not the one who just got buttfucked

on national TV, Dwayne.

Ah ha ha!

Listen to me, jerk-off,

if you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem.

Quit being part of the problem and put the other guy back on!

Hey, Roy, how you feeling?

Pretty fucking unappreciated, Al.

Hey, look. I love you.

So do a lot of the other guys.

So hang in there, man, you hear me?

You hang in there.

Yeah, thanks, partner.

What are you doing?

I'm tired of sitting here

waiting to see who gets us killed first,

them or your husband.

What are you going to do?

Hey, babe,

I negotiate million-dollar deals for breakfast.

I think I can handle this Eurotrash.

Hey, sprechen sie talk, huh?

If you'd listened to me, he would be neutralized already.

I don't want neutral. I want dead.

Hope I'm not interrupting.

What does he want?

It's not what I "want." It's what I can "give" you.

Look, let's be straight, OK?

It's obvious you're not some dumb schmuck

up here to snatch a few purses.

You're very perceptive.

I watch "60 Minutes."

I say to myself, these guys are professional,

they're motivated, they're happening,

they want something.

I couldn't care less about your politics.

Maybe you're pissed off at the camel jockeys.

Maybe it's the Hebes, Northern Ireland.

It's none of my business.

I figure you're here to negotiate, am I right?

You're amazing.

You figured this all out already?

Hey, business is business.

You use a gun, I use a fountain pen.

What's the difference?

Let's put it in my terms.

You're here on a hostile takeover.

You grab us for some green

but you didn't expect some poison pill was gonna be running around the building.

Am I right?

Hans,

bubbie...

I'm your white knight.

I must have missed "60 Minutes."

What are you saying?

The guy upstairs who's fucking things up, huh?

I can give him to you.

Oh, God...

Roy? Roy, you all right?

Just trying to fire down a 1,000-year-old Twinkie.

What do they put in these things,

anyway?

Sugar, enriched flour,

partially hydrogenated vegetable oil,

polysorbate 60,

and yellow dye number five.

Just everything a growing boy needs.

How many kids you got, Al?

As a matter of fact, my wife is working on our first.

How about you, cowboy?

You got any kids back on your ranch?

Yeah.

Two.

Sure hope I can see them

swinging on a jungle gym with Al Jr. someday.

Well, now, that's a date

but you bring the ice cream.

Touching, cowboy. Touching.

Or should I call you

Mr. McClane?

Mr. Officer John McClane

of the New York Police Department?

Get on the phone to Harry in New York.

You better get a hold of somebody at Dispatch.

Sister Theresa called me Mr. McClane in the third grade.

My friends call me John

and you're neither, shithead.

I have someone who wants to talk to you.

A very special friend

who was with you at the party tonight.

Hey, John boy.

Ellis?

Yeah.

Listen, John, they're giving me a few minutes to talk sense into you.

I know you think you're doing your job and I can appreciate that

but you're just dragging this thing out.

Look, no-one gets out of here until these guys

can talk to the LA Police.

That won't happen until you stop messing up the works. Capisce?

Ellis, what have you told them?

I told them we were old friends and you were my guest

at the party.

Ellis, you shouldn't be doing this.

Tell me about it.

All right, John, listen.

They want you to tell them where the detonators are.

They know people are listening.

They want the detonators, or they're gonna kill me.

John, didn't you hear me?

Yeah, I hear you.

John, get with the program.

The police are here now. It's their problem.

Tell these guys where the detonators are so no-one else gets hurt!

I'm putting my life on the line for you, pal!

Ellis, listen to me carefully.

John...

Shut up, Ellis! Just shut your mouth!

Put Hans back on the line.

Hans, this shithead doesn't know what kind of man you are but I do.

Good. Then you'll give us what we want

and save your friend's life.

You're not part of this equation.

Hey, what am I, a method actor?

Babe, put away the gun.

This is radio, not television.

Hans, this asshole is not my friend!

I just met him tonight! I don't know him!

Jesus Christ, Ellis! These people will kill you!

Tell them you don't know me!

How can you say that after all these years?

John? John?

Do you hear that?

Talk to me! Where are my detonators?

Where are they, or shall I shoot another one?

Sooner or later

I might get to someone you do care about.

Go fuck yourself, Hans.

He just let the guy die.

He just gave him up. Give me that headset.

That's like pulling the trigger yourself.

Can't you see what's happening? Can't you read between the lines?

He did everything he could to save him.

If he gave himself up, they'd both be dead right now!

No way, man. They'd be talking to us.

You tell this "partner" of yours to stay out of this from now on.

Because if he doesn't, I'm really going to nail his ass.

The man is hurting.

He is alone, tired,

and he hasn't seen diddly-squat from anybody here!

You're gonna tell me he'll give a damn

about what you do to him if he makes it out of there alive?

Why don't you wake up and smell what you're shoveling?

You listen to me, sergeant.

Any time you want to go home, you consider yourself dismissed.

No, sir. You couldn't drag me away.

Attention, police.

Attention, police.

- This is Sergeant Al Powell... - Give me that.

This is Deputy Chief Dwayne Robinson.

Who is this?

This is Hans Gruber.

I assume you realize the futility of direct action against me.

We have no wish for further loss of life.

What is it you do wish for?

I have comrades in arms around the world languishing in prison.

The American State Department enjoys rattling its saber for its own ends.

Now it can rattle it for me.

The following people are to be released from their captors.

In Northern Ireland the seven members of the New Provo Front.

In Canada, the five imprisoned leaders of Libert� de Quebec.

In Sri Lanka, the nine members of the Asian Dawn.

What the fuck?

Asian Dawn?

I read about them in "Time" magazine.

When these revolutionary brothers and sisters are free,

the hostages in this building will be taken to the roof

and they will accompany us in helicopters

to the Los Angeles International Airport

where they will be given further instructions.

You have two hours to comply.

Wait a minute. Uh, Mr. Gruber. This is crazy.

I don't have the authority. Two hours is not enough.

Hello? Hello!

Did you get all that? We got to make some calls.

Do you think they'll even try?

Who cares?

Theo, are we on schedule?

One more to go, then it's up to you.

You better be right because the last one will take a miracle.

It's Christmas, Theo.

It's the time of miracles, so be of good cheer

and call me when you hit the last lock.

Karl,

hunt that little shit down and get those detonators.

Fritz is checking the explosives.

I'll check the explosives. You just get the detonators.

Hey, Powell, you out there?

I'm here, John. I'm here.

You gotta believe me. There was nothing I could do.

Well, it's gonna be both our asses if you're wrong.

I hear you.

Did you catch that bullshit Hans was running?

It doesn't make sense, man.

Hey, don't ask me, man.

I'm just a deskjockey who was on my way home when you rang.

The way you drove that car I figured you for the street, Al.

In my youth. In my youth.

...author of "Hostage Terrorist, Terrorist Hostage,

A Study in Duality."

Dr. Hasseldorf,

what can we expect in the next few hours?

Well, Gail,

by this time, the hostages should be going through

the early stages of the Helsinki Syndrome.

As in Helsinki, Sweden.

Finland.

Basically, it's when the hostages and the terrorists

go through a sort of psychological transference

and a projection of dependency.

A strange sort of trust and bond develops.

We've had situations where the hostages

have embraced their captors after release

and even corresponded with them in prison.

No, no, darling. Asian Dawn. Dawn.

D-A-W-N.

- Sir? - Yeah?

Sir, the FBI is here.

- The FBI is here now? - Yes, sir. Right over there.

Hold this.

Want a breath mint?

Hey, how you doing, man?

I'm Agent Johnson. This is Special Agent Johnson.

- Oh, how you doing? - No relation.

I'm, uh...

I'm Dwayne Robinson, LAPD. I'm in charge here.

Not anymore.

Hi, there. How you doing?

Ohh...

Please, God. No. You're one of them, aren't you?

You're one of them.

No! Don't kill me! Please!

Don't kill me, please! Please, please, please.

Whoa. Relax. I'm not gonna hurt you.

I'm not gonna hurt you!

Oh, God.

What the fuck are you doing up here?

What were you looking for?

I managed to get out of there and

I was just trying to get up on the roof

and see if I could signal for help.

It's just over here. Why don't you come and help?

Hold it. Forget the roof.

I said forget the roof. They got people all over it.

You want to stay alive, you stay with me.

The best we can figure it,

we've got maybe 30 or 35 hostages up there

probably on the 30th floor

and maybe seven or eight terrorists up there.

Sounds like an A-7 scenario.

Thank you. We'll handle it from here.

When we commandeer your men, we'll try and let you know.

Aren't you forgetting something?

Such as?

What about John McClane?

He's the reason we have any information.

He's also the reason you're facing seven terrorists, not twelve.

He's inside? Who is he?

He might be a cop. We're checking on that.

- One of yours? - No, no way.

You smoke?

Yeah.

Thanks.

You don't work for Nakatomi.

And if you're not one of them...

I'm a cop from New York.

New York?

Yeah.

Got invited to the Christmas party by mistake.

Who knew?

Better than being caught with your pants down, huh?

I'm John McClane.

You're, uh...

Clay.

Bill Clay.

Know how to use a handgun, Bill?

I spent a weekend at a combat ranch.

That game with the guns that shoot red paint.

Probably seems kind of stupid to you.

Nope.

Time for the real thing, Bill.

All you got to do is pull the trigger.

Come on.

Put down the gun

and give me my detonators.

Well, well, well...

Hans.

Put it down now.

That's pretty tricky with that accent.

You oughta be on fucking TV with that accent.

But what do you want with the detonators?

I already used all the explosives.

Or did I?

I'm going to count to three.

Yeah. Like you did with Takagi?

Oops.

No bullets.

What do you think... I'm fucking stupid, Hans?

You were saying?

Karl.

Schie� dem Fenster.

Shoot the glass!

Jesus Christ!

Smile, Karl. We're back in business.

...is the last resort of diplomacy,

then couldn't we just as well say

that terrorism has an equal claim on being that, too?

Tell me you got something.

McClane's name, badge number, employment record, vital statistics,

and his family's home address

right here in LA.

Whoo!

Go to work.

Got it.

God, that man looks really pissed.

He's still alive.

What?

Only John can drive somebody that crazy.

Hans, you better heat up that miracle

because we just broke through on number six

and the electromagnetic came down like a fucking anvil.

Have a look at what our friends outside are doing and I'll be right up.

Hey, John.

John McClane, you still with us?

Yeah.

But all things being equal, I'd rather be in Philadelphia.

Chalk up two more bad guys.

The boys down here will be glad to hear that.

We got a pool going on you.

What kind of odds am I getting?

You don't want to know.

Put me down for 20.

I'm good for it.

Hey, pal, you got flat feet?

What the hell are you talking about, man?

Something had to get you off the street.

What's the matter?

You don't think jockeying papers across a desk is a noble effort for a cop?

No.

I had an accident.

The way you drive, I can see why.

What'd you do?

Run over your captain's foot with the car?

I shot a kid.

He was 13 years old.

Oh, it was dark. I couldn't see him.

He had a ray gun, looked real enough.

When you're a rookie, they teach you everything about being a cop

except how to live with a mistake.

Anyway, I just couldn't bring myself to draw my gun on anybody again.

Sorry, man.

Hey, man, how could you know?

I feel like shit anyway.

Well, then, this won't matter.

The LAPD is not calling the shots down here anymore.

The Feds?

You got it.

Those are the city engineers.

Wait.

They're going into the street circuits.

Those guys in the suits, I don't know who they are.

That's the FBI.

They're ordering the others to cut the building's power.

Regular as clockwork.

Or a time lock.

Precisely.

The circuits that cannot be cut are cut automatically

in response to a terrorist incident.

You asked for miracles, Theo.

I give you the F-B-I.

I want the building shut down.

I got a problem. I got a switch...

I don't care about your switch. I want it out. Dark!

You can't do it from here.

- Yeah, you could. - It can't be done from here.

I could just... I got the radio...

You can't do it from here. It's got to be done from downtown.

They've gotta take out a whole city grid.

We're talking 10 square blocks.

Ten blocks? Johnson, that's crazy.

It's Christmas Eve. There's thousands of people.

You have to go wider.

- I need authorization. - How about the United States government?

Lose the grid, or you lose your job.

- Yeah, Central? - Yeah?

This is Walt down at Nakatomi.

Would it be possible for you to turn off grid 212?

Are you crazy?!

Maybe I should call the Mayor.

No shit it's my ass. I got a big problem here.

Shut it down now.

Emergency lighting activated.

Al, talk to me. What's going on here?

Ask the FBI.

They got the universal terrorist playbook

and they're running it step by step.

It's gonna go. It's gonna go!

Yes!

Merry Christmas.

They must be pissing in their pants.

The Mayor is gonna have my ass.

Whoo!

What are we gonna do now?

Arrest them for not paying their electric bill?

We've shut them down.

We let them sweat for a while, then we give them helicopters.

Right up the ass.

This is Agent Johnson.

No, the other one.

I want that air support ready to lift off in five minutes.

Damn right. Fully armed. We're on the way.

Oh, yes!

I wish to talk to the FBI.

This is Special Agent Johnson.

The State Department has arranged for the return of your comrades.

Helicopters are en route as you requested.

I hear you. We'll be ready.

By the time he figures out what hit him, he'll be in a body bag.

When they touch down, we'll blow the roof.

They'll spend a month sifting through the rubble.

By the time they figure out what went wrong,

we'll be sitting on a beach earning 20%.

Ah! Jeez!

Powell?

Yo, Powell, you got a minute?

I'm here, John.

Listen, I'm starting to get a bad feeling up here.

I want you to do something for me.

Um... ahem...

I want you to find my wife.

Don't ask me how. By then you'll know how.

Uh, I want you to tell her something.

I want you to tell her that...

Tell her it took me a while to figure out

what a jerk I've been

but, um...

that...

that when things started to pan out for her

I should have been more supportive.

And, uh...

I just should have been behind her more.

Oh, shit.

Tell her that, um

that she's the best thing that ever happened to a bum like me.

She's heard me say "I love you" a thousand times.

She never heard me say I'm sorry.

I want you to tell her that, Al. Tell her that John said that he was sorry.

OK?

You got that, man?

Yeah, I got it, John.

But you can tell her that yourself.

You just watch your ass and you'll make it out. You hear me?

I guess that's up to the man upstairs.

John?

John?

What the fuck were you doing upstairs, Hans?

John?

No, Al, listen. Just lay off for a while.

I gotta go check on something.

One minute, that's all I'm asking.

One minute to speak to them.

All right. Get back. Get back.

All right, look.

You let me in right now, or I call the INS, comprende?

This is the last time these kids are gonna have

to speak to their parents.

All right?

All right. Come on. Come on.

What were you doing, Hans?

What were you doing?

Jesus, Mary, mother of God.

Al, listen to me! It's a double-cross!

The roof is wired to...

John?

John!

John, come in!

Did you get that?

Something about a double-cross.

Tell me about it.

We are both professionals.

This is personal.

Aww...

They're coming!

Choppers are coming.

Time to gather your flock, Miss Gennero.

Your mom and dad are very important people.

They're very brave people.

Is there something you'd like to say to them, if they're watching?

Come home.

Mrs. McClane.

How nice to make your acquaintance.

On your feet, everyone! To the roof!

Lock them up there and come right back.

You should have heard your brother squeal

when I broke his fucking neck!

What do you figure the breakage?

I figure we take out the terrorists,

lose 20, 25% of the hostages, tops.

I can live with that.

Get this thing on the deck.

They're expecting transports, not gunships.

Move it! Come on! Move!

Come on! Come on!

Move it!

Go! Move!

Theo.

A little bonus for us.

Please, sit down. Sit down!

A policeman's wife might come in handy.

McClane, I have some news for you.

McClane?

Move!

Come on!

Motherfucker! I'll kill you!

Armed.

- The truck? - The truck.

After all your posturing, all your little speeches,

you're nothing but a common thief.

I am an exceptional thief, Mrs. McClane.

And since I'm moving up to kidnapping,

you should be more polite.

You motherfucker, I'm gonna kill you!

I'm gonna fuckin' cook you, and I'm gonna fuckin' eat you!

I don't like this, Sarge.

Yee-hah! Just like fucking Saigon, eh, Slick?

I was in Junior High, dickhead.

Where's Holly?

Where's Holly Gennero?

Holly Gennero? Where's Holly?

Where's Holly? Where is she?

- They took her! - Where?

The vault!

- Where is the vault? - The 30th floor!

They just took her!

Get downstairs!

The whole fucking roof is wired to blow!

Get down!

Get down! Get the fuck downstairs!

They made us, Bureau. Terrorist shooting hostages.

Break left!

Nail that sucker!

I'm on your side, you assholes!

Swing around again! I'll bag this little bastard.

What the fuck...

Oh, John, what the fuck are you doing?

How the fuck did you get into this shit?

There's something wrong! They're coming back down!

- Blow the roof. - But Karl's up there!

Blow the roof!

I promise I will never even think

about going up in a tall building again.

Oh, God, please don't let me die!

Holy Christ!

We're gonna need some more FBI guys, I guess.

Jesus fucking Christ!

Fuck!

What the fuck is going on?

What are you gonna do? Sit here while the building falls down?

Shit!

All right!

Hey! Hey!

Hang on, baby.

Hang on, honey.

Oh, God.

Hans!

Jesus.

Hi, honey.

So that's what this is all about? A fucking robbery?

Put down the gun.

Why'd you have to nuke the whole building, Hans?

Well, when you steal $600, you can just disappear.

When you steal 600 million, they will find you

unless they think you're already dead.

Put down the gun.

Nein. This is mine.

You got me.

Still the cowboy, Mr. McClane.

Americans... all alike.

This time, John Wayne does not walk off into the sunset with Grace Kelly.

That was Gary Cooper, asshole.

Enough jokes.

You'd have made a pretty good cowboy yourself, Hans.

Oh, yes. What was it you said to me before?

Yippee-ki-yay, motherfucker.

Holly!

Happy trails, Hans.

- Aah! - Holly.

I hope that's not a hostage.

Gimme water hook-ups for engine companies 5, 3, 9, 6.

Over here. It's a better angle.

Let's give them a hand.

Keep it going, now. Keep it going.

- Come on. We're going to miss it! - OK. Hand me my notes!

What was it like in there? How did they treat you?

Al, this is my wife Holly.

Holly Gennero.

Holly McClane.

Hello, Holly.

You got yourself a good man.

You take good care of him.

McClane!

McClane, I want a debriefing!

You got some things to answer for, mister.

Ellis' murder, for one thing.

Property damage, interfering with police business.

Two of you go inside and see if there's anybody else!

No. This one's with me.

Mr. McClane, Mr. McClane!

Now that it's all over, after this incredible ordeal,

what are your feelings?

Well, well, well.

- Merry Christmas, Argyle. - Merry Christmas.

Did you get that?

Let me through.

If this is their idea of Christmas, I gotta be here for New Year's.