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Discussion
During the cellar bar scene, could Archie have explained away his accent by saying he was born in Germany but raised in the UK? There were some German ex pats that "answered the call" to return and defend the homeland. Perhaps his father was a WWI soldier of note that moved to England after that war. He could have received a commission based on his father's reputation. I read somewhere that Hitler laid a "claim of loyalty" to all Aryans to tempt people to return.
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the point wasn't to provide a reasonable explanation; it was to minimize the suspicion and attention of an ss officer. that explanation would have increased it. "you lived in the UK?" that would have been like a dog to a bone for the ss man.
Makes sense. I know it played out like Tarantino wrote it, but I was just wondering if there could have been a way to quell suspicion.
His answer also explained how he would have had connections to von Hammersmark
In terms of justifying his accent that would have pretty much been the only way. There is a clear tinge of Britishness to his dialect - and absolutely nothing Alpine.
But yeah. It would of course not work at all in terms of everything else.
Don't cry in front of the Germans.
Lol
Maybe but if they got away with the ruse, the scene wouldn't really be the same.
True. I was just putting myself in the scene and trying to come up with a way around it. Kinda like the "How to Beat" videos on YouTube.
His film reference to being in a film was also a way for Tarantino to jam more of his film history and knowledge into the film. It's a film with an undercurrent of film in it, so that was just a little nod...
Edit: clarity
Perhaps, but for the audience's perspective it could have raised more questions - and it also added to his character knowing German films.
I *do* think he could have justified the three finger request though.
Saying that he was raised in Allied territory would’ve immediately drawn even more suspicion.
Hmmm potentially and it would have also explained the hand gesture that actually gave him away - as he can say in the UK that's what they use and he's simply use to it.
However I don't think it would have saved him. At best the SS officer would have wanted to take him into custody to check his story (which they obviously wouldnt have allowed). He would have been an idiot not you. They're literally at war with the UK. It's not something you can just take the word of, of someone you've just met.
Saying he had connections to the Brits might have aroused suspicion. He needed to present himself as being as German as schnitzel and sauerkraut.
Also, the bar being full wasn't in the plan. He was thinking on his feet.