What about the drink order alerted Major Hellstrom? [duplicate]
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In the 2009 film Inglorious Basterds, British intelligence agent Archie Hicox is meeting a German spy in a tavern, but his unusual accent catches the attention of Gestapo officer Major Dieter Hellstrom. The two banter back and forth for several minutes, with Hellstrom attempting to catch Hicox in a lie. Finally, Hellstrom orders a bottle of scotch and asks Hicox how many glasses. Hicox orders three glasses, saying "Drei glasse", and holding up three fingers as he does so. After the drinks are delivered,
Hellstrom pulls his pistol under the table and states that Hicox just gave himself away. leading to a fast-paced shootout scene.
As far as I can tell, Hicox's use of German was correct, so I'm thinking perhaps the gesture of three fingers was behind the Major's behavior. After repeated viewings, however, the answer still eludes me.
What about the drink order alerted Major Hellstrom?
Best Answer
As the other answer states, it's about differences of which fingers to hold up when indicating the number 3.
Repeated viewings of the Bar scene would tell you nothing unless you happened to know this cultural difference. However it is explained in the very next scene when Lieutenant Aldo interrogates Bridget von Hammersmark, when they are treating her for the bullet wound to her leg.
BRIDGET
The English man, gave himself away.
LT. ALDO
How did he do that?
BRIDGET
He ordered three glasses.
(She holds up three fingers, index to ring)
BRIDGET
We order, three glasses.
(She holds up three fingers, thumb to middle)
BRIDGET
That's the German three. The other
is odd. Germans would, and did notice it.
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How did hicox give himself away?
Von Hammersmark later explained to Raine and the rest of the Basterds that Hicox gave himself away by using the British hand gesture to order three drinks instead of \u201cthe German three\u201d \u2013 but Major Hellstr\xf6m might have known they were lying from the very beginning.What is the German three Inglourious Basterds?
Without giving too much away, the spy, undercover as a German officer, orders another round of whiskey, telling the bartender, "Drei Gl\xe4ser" (three glasses) and holding three fingers up \u2014 his index, middle, and ring finger.Did Hellstrom know?
In actuality, Hellstrom knew IMMEDIATELY, since he's a Major who knows all the German officers stationed in France (the Basterds aren't German Officers, obviously), he knows all the German soldiers worth knowing (like Stiglitz), he taunts both Hicox and Stiglitz by flirting with their "covers," and he tries to get the ...Did Hellstrom recognize Stiglitz?
If Stiglitz was such a \u201ccelebrity\u201d and his face was all over the newspapers, at least one person should have recognized him at the tavern, but that wasn't the case. Some believe Hellstr\xf6m did from the very beginning, but he played along to see if they blew their cover.NAZI TAVERN GUNFIGHT - INGLORIOUS BASTERDS - QUENTIN TARANTINO - HICOX GIVES HIMSELF AWAY
More answers regarding what about the drink order alerted Major Hellstrom? [duplicate]
Answer 2
Hicox used index, middle and ring fingers to signify three. Whoops.
The German/continental way is to use index finger, middle finger and thumb.
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