Multiple similarities and differences become apparent when watching films such as “Die Hard” and analyzing images that depict American mythology. In these two scenes, the shot/angle establishes a location or moment in the character’s life. Whether they are in a vulnerable situation similar to McClane or exploring a new land like the lone-ride. These men are frozen in a moment of action that could change their lives positively or negatively. That demonstrates the American mythology of trusting the land in front of you and claiming it as your own. They didn’t need anyone’s help besides the environment around them to prevail forward toward a sort of selfish goal.
It is interesting how the shot for “Die Hard” could be seen as a moment of vulnerability for McClane since he is in such a dangerous position. Still, for the rider, this moment is seen as something victorious as they leave behind this now old world. Nonetheless, both men seem to be outsiders to their community as they venture further into the new world. That depiction connects well with Ralph Waldo Emerson’s statement “He cumbers himself, never about consequences, about interests; he gives an independent, genuine verdict.” Emerson believes that to follow American mythology and ideologies indeed; you need to be independent like McClane was at the beginning of “Die Hard”. Although this may be true for most of the film, McClane’s character has to depend on an outside source, Al, to be there for him mentally. Independence in American mythology was justifiable with the frontier because there was no one you could trust, but as time passed, you may need to form connections with those from this new world. Frederick Turner (1893) states, “The existence of an area of free land, its continuous recession, and the advance of American settlement westward, explain American development”. This unrestricted land is somewhere they believe is pure and new, with unknown elements that reveal who really should “own” that land. This quote is a perfect example of America’s development because it demonstrates how these explorers transformed European traditions into distinct values and virtues. Turner saw America through a lens of racial nationalism and believed that this advancement was a chance for opportunity.