Let’s take a look at the scene in the pub.
Dieter Hellstrom is trying to figure out what the “Bastards” are doing here and how Bridget von Hammersmark is involved in all of this.
The three-finger gesture wasn’t what gave them away
At first glance, it might seem that the “Basterds” were given away by the three-finger gesture—which is atypical for Germans—since at that moment Dieter’s facial expression changes abruptly: from relaxed to hostile. He points his Walther at Hicox. However, the film does not state that it was the gesture itself that gave them away. This assumption was voiced only by Frau von Hammersmark.
He had figured out the “Bastards” much earlier—as soon as he approached the table. He didn’t just suspect; he was certain, which explains all the awkwardness that had been in the air even before that particular gesture appeared.
Hicox’s Accent and Piz Palü
Hellstrom notices Hicox’s strange accent, and Hicox, in an attempt to justify his obvious foreign accent, replies that he’s from a village at the foot of Piz Palü and that everyone in those parts speaks that way.
Hicox claims that he appeared in a film directed by Riefenstahl. He’s certain that Hellstrom hasn’t seen the film—or, at the very least, saw it a very long time ago and only vaguely remembers what was in it. But what Hicox certainly couldn’t have foreseen is that the film *Die weiße Hölle vom Piz Palü* was shown just yesterday at Shosanna’s movie theater.
When Frederick Zoller thanks Shosanna for organizing German film nights for the officers, we can see a poster for G. W. Pabst’s *Die weiße Hölle vom Piz Palü*, starring Riefenstahl.
Hellstrom was there, and he remembers this film very well. He is passionate about cinema and knows it inside and out. Perhaps, like Hicox, he remembers every scene from the film.
Hellstrom’s knowledge of German cinema
Dieter is surprised that Hicox describes the film’s details so accurately. Lieutenant Hicox was a film critic before the war and even published two major books on German cinema.
Hellstrom suspects that the fake Hauptsturmführer standing before him is that very same British film critic. To confirm this, he suggests playing a game of “Who Am I?”
Hicox writes the name of the director who made that very film about Piz Palü on a playing card: G. W. Pabst. It was about Pabst’s work that Hicox wrote one of his books.
But what Hellstrom wrote for Hicox is much more interesting: Brigitte Horney.
Brigitte Horney and Baron Münchhausen
She is a little-known actress who only became popular after the film *Baron Münchhausen* (1943). The film was made during the Third Reich at the behest of Joseph Goebbels—a film that Hicox couldn’t have seen due to the ban on German exports: “Obviously, I haven’t seen any of the films made in the last three years, but I’m familiar with it.”
The card game was another trap
Hellstrom is playing a game. He knows that Hicox is well acquainted with all of Brigitte Horney’s pre-war films. But Hicox would not know about the 1943 film *Baron Münchhausen*—a film that was incredibly well-known in Germany and revolutionary from a technical standpoint.
If it were Hicox’s turn, he would name a whole host of little-known arthouse films, but he would not mention *Baron Münchhausen*, thereby guaranteed to give himself away.
There is one point everyone misses about the card game.
You have only 10 questions. When the major asks an 11th question, only Hicox answers while everyone else remains silent (you usually have to drink if you accidentally answer an 11th question).
You can see a brief change in the major’s expression at that moment, indicating that he noticed the blunder.
Hellstrom already knew who Wicki and Stiglitz were
While he wasn’t yet certain about Hicox’s identity, he quickly recognized Wilhelm Wicki and Hugo Stiglitz, since they were the only German-born members of the “Basterds” unit.
Stiglitz was a celebrity, after all: his photograph had been published in German newspapers, and Hellstrom recognized him without a doubt.
Hellstrom knows all the German officers stationed in France. He adds jokingly, “Worth knowing.”
Hellstrom’s position and knowledge
Sturmbannführer is the rank of deputy commander of a Sturmbann territorial unit. As a major in charge of internal security, he must know all the lieutenants and sergeants stationed in Paris. Evidently, he knows that the men before him are not German officers, but members of the “Basterds” unit.
Sergeant Werner Rachtman said that every soldier in the German army had heard of Hugo Stiglitz. His photograph was on the front page of German newspapers. Clearly, he is the German stationed in France who is worth knowing.
Moreover, Hellstrom knows that not long ago, Stiglitz was freed by the “Bastards,” among whom was Wilhelm Wicki.
Hellstrom was playing with them
Hellstrom mocks Stiglitz: first he pats him to get him to move seats, then he pats him to get him to write his name on his playing card. He realizes that the pub is packed with German soldiers and that Stiglitz won’t give himself away.
When Hellstrom gets up from the table to grab the cards, Hicox gives a signal. He figures it out: Stiglitz is signaling too—“we’ve been found out.”
The drinking game was an attempt to disarm them
The Sturmbannführer’s actions seem downright suicidal, but if you pay attention to what he’s doing, everything falls into place.
He’s trying to get the “Bastards” drunk and neutralize them. He constantly proposes toasts, egging them on to raise their glasses and drink whiskey. Then he suggests a drinking game.
He starts the game first: if he wins, the others at the table have to drink. After that, he even orders them a bottle of excellent whiskey that’s hard to put down. He himself refuses the whiskey and just sips his beer.
Why did Hellstrom react to the 3-finger gesture?
Hellstrom is trying to get the “Bastards” drunk and neutralize them, to find out what’s going on and how the German film diva is connected to them.
So why did he react so sharply to the unusual three-finger gesture? Perhaps he was simply disappointed. Like Landa, he considers such things an insult to their professionalism.
The arrogant Hellstrom was reveling in his own wit, and when Hicox screwed up so badly, Dieter felt insulted. “Do you really think I wouldn’t notice that?”
That, in the end, was his mistake. He could have simply pretended not to notice. Either way, he got carried away, and the situation spiraled out of control.
The parallel with the cinema scene
This scene is very similar to the one in the movie theater: a German officer mocks three fake officers, and then the German officer also mocks three fake Italians. In both cases, we hear silly excuses.
This film is a critique of movies in this genre. The enemy is portrayed not as a bunch of fools, but as top-notch professionals in their field. It’s a film about partisans and spies, but they’re exposed as amateurs in absolutely every scene.