Representation

In the film Die Hard 3, Germans (and other non-Americans) are represented as being violent, evil and threatening people. When the heroic John Maclean is searching for bombs, he speaks with the German terrorist on a mobile phone. The fact that the German is leading MaClean on a challenge to find bombs which have been cynically placed in areas full of children, such as parks, shows that German characters in this Hollywood film are portrayed as being scheming and as having no regard for the safety of others (particularly of innocent Americans). The clothing of the German character also suggests that he is strong and violent. He has a muscular build and wears a muscle-fit vest top while striding across a dis-used subway station in army issue boots. The sweat on his arms and chest suggests that he is strong, active and possibly violent. This reinforces the stereotype in Hollywood action films in which German characters are often represented as being a threat to national security.