It was also known that the French would poison select bottles of their wine in anticipation of German looting. (Since wine would surely be taken in the plunder). Landa asking for the milk was unexpected as it’s unlikely to be laced and reveals he’s not falling for any tricks.

People always rave about Waltz's performance, and it is brilliant but Denis Ménochet is every bit as good in this scene. The way he breaks down as Waltz breaks him down is just amazing. A extremely proud and strong man being broken.

Missed one thing. When Landa is complimenting the daughters beauty in saying “The village rumors of your family are true” also has the implication that the village had rumors of the family hiding away Jews. This whole scene is a masterpiece all on to its own.

I love how Christophe Waltz plays Hans Landa. In so many war films, the SS are portrayed as aggressive and shouting at everybody. But Landa is charming and polite, and ingratiates himself with everyone. It’s a fascinating portrayal. I also like that La Padite smokes a tiny pipe, and then Landa takes his pipe from his pocket, and it’s massive. It’s almost like a dick measuring competition.

I also like how hanz uses two different versions of good bye, since in french you have “Adieu” which would be used if you didn’t expect to see that person again, which is what hanz used while ordering the execution of the family, and the other version is “au revoir” which can be translated to “we will see each other again” which is what he called out to shoshana

I'm fairly sure when he stops the daughter, he actually is checking her pulse a la Sherlock to see how nervous they are.

The subtle morphing on Landa's face at 21:10 is some of the best acting I've ever seen. At that moment, I was hooked with Waltz' performance. Tarantino knows how to write a captivating yet terrifying villain.

Ordinary cinephiles like me know intuitively this is one of the great opening scenes in movies, based on the dialogue and buildup in dramatic tension. What we don't appreciate (until now, that is), is how the camera work does all the heavy lifting with an easy grace and style. Thank you for explaining both the technique and the rationale behind this process.

This scene is truly a masterpiece. Also the scene when Landa and Shoshanna meet again at the Café. Bone-chillingly perfect evil. And the actors! Admirable!

This was the scene where I knew Christoph would be nominated for an Oscar. The close up when he asked lapatite if he was hiding the Dreyfuses. The expression on his face looked like CGI the way Waltz’s expression morphed into cunning evil. He was fantastic in this role and such a great actor. I’ve enjoyed all his roles in every film since.

In another analysis of the scene that was given additional context from interviews with Taratino himself, there is another, greater reason he interfered with her fetching wine to request milk instead and focused on the way he grasped her wrist, and held it for an extended time with his two fingers placed over her pulse point to check if she was calm or not and gauging her level of anxiousness. He does the same with Charlotte when he kisses her hand as he introduced himself to the girls. Another thing that adds to the well crafted anxiousness and tension of the scene is that Christoph Waltz was only allowed to practice his lines only with Tarantino, so the other actors would not know what to expect from him and make their reactions more genuine.

People always praise Christoph Waltz's performance, but not enough people are complimenting how Denis Menochet did as playing the father and helping create this perfect scene

Now, this is art. Never thought of film making with such depth with the breakdowns. Thank you, seriously informational.

He basically remakes westerns in a non western setting. It's a strange type of genius

Having watched this movie three times over the years, one of the things that now strikes me from the beginning is just how desperate La Pedite seems from the start. He seems to have a sense of existential dread, knowing that he can only hold out for so long hiding his friends. He knows that he faces an awful choice when the push comes. It's either his family or the family he's hiding - or most likely both will be sacrificed if he's caught. It's horrifying. We can all see ourselves in his position. It's there from the moment he washes himself. Symbolically, it could be seen as an attempt at spiritual cleansing - as if he knows this is the end - but there is no salvation.

The first time I saw this entire scene I almost crapped myself. One of the most smolderingly tense and frightening bits ever put to film. Brilliant!

I don't know if you missed this but Charlotte looks at Landa, the down at the floor, then up at Lapedite. She was communicating where they were hiding and Landa caught it.

LaPadite says "after you" when inviting him in but Lande actually grabs him and ushers him into his own house letting him know he's in control

QT’s masterpiece. This scene made his talent completely undeniable. The way Waltz escalates tension to breaking point through a seemingly benign visitation is exceptional.

Make more of these. You've said they take a lot of time and you have other projects, but seriously, there is nothing else like this I've found and I've watched it multiple times and have shared it with friends. If you make more I bet you can monetize big time and grow your channel substantially.

Christoph Waltz is an underated actor. He is brilliant

A list of all subtle parts easily missed: 1: Landa has his men wait outside so its easier for him to have LA Padites daughters excused. The daughters may have prevented La Padite from revealing the hidden jews in the end. 2: The milk is instead of wine which was often poisoned before Nazi arrival and looting. And perhaps to check the pulse of the daughter. 3: His staring could be seen as a creepy sexual habit, but he is a "hawk" watching their every emotion and move especially the daughter who was most nervous. 4: Landa uses a complex sentence in French that is almost at an expert level of grammar to say that he is unable to speak it, this shows that he may know more than it seems and tricks will not slide under his nose. 5: Landa calls the soldiers "ladies" in French to give the hidden jews less time to crawl out, because they'd assume he's calling the daughters back into the house. Landa perhaps discussed this with the soldiers ahead of time. 6: Landa perhaps let's Shoshanna escape by not hustling over to the doorway or hastily taking a shot because he's confident in his abilities to find her again (this point is reinforced later in the film) 7: Landa wanted to be inside for the conversation to listen as a "hawk" would for noises behind walls, under floors, behinds doors, etc.

*The lighting is underrated.* 🔅 Anyone who has ever been on a set knows how long the days are and the takes go 🔅 Even in a studio on a set you have a variety of factors like props casting shadows and factoring in the blocking of the actors 🔅 Even white balancing and color correcting take dozens if not hundreds of hours per film project I’m always amazed at the level of suspension of disbelief required for people who understand how painstaking it is to create a film *to enjoy a film* without being preoccupied *by thinking about the difficulty or skill level it must’ve taken to get EVEN THEM to enjoy the film.* Film is like sleep. Some are able shut out everything and enjoy. Others can’t enjoy shutting down because they’re consumed with processing everything else going on instead of enjoying what’s in front of them. 🛌 🎥🍿

I think an other reason, why Landa asks for milk, is that Friedrich Nietzsche writes in his description of übermensch, that the übermensch does not drink alcohol, he drinks milk.

I was about to sleep but now 27 minutes later, I know a lot more about filmmaking. Subbed.

Great job. Don't apologize for the video being long - the scene deserved it. Well done.

and there is so much more. The hand movements, the glances, the wording and not to mention the lighting and music. It is a masterpiece. Absolute fav movie.

Ive already watched this masterpiece of a movie twice, but even watching a video explaining the scenes is still giving me some anxiety. Christoph's Hans Landa is truly terrifying.

Landa is not just SS...he's a member of the SD (closely linked to the Gestapo), as shown by the patch on his left arm (near the elbow) in a later scene. The SD were particularly skilled at investigative work and locating enemies of the Nazi regime.

First time I’ve seen a movie breakdown like this. Very technical

I also think the fact that he congratulated them on the milk is a reminder that he is the judge, he decides and he is in control. He could have just remained silent after drinking the milk, asking for another one, just saying thank you, yet he rates it, they are there to serve them and he decides what happens.

Thanks for an incredible breakdown of this scene. Its an entire college course of filming in less than 1/2 hour.

Shot 99 at precisely 21:13 to 21:17 is one of the greatest transformations without the use of CG/camera trickery quite possibly in film history. Hans' face is the defining moment this scene changes. Even Hans', "And assured there will be" line was not nearly as intimidating, or scene-changing as the ever so slight and subtle, nearly unnoticeable-until-he-speaks face transformation. Brilliant acting and directing.

Landa controls every scene he is in until Hermann is shot right at the end. This is possibly the best movie Tarantino has ever made....very underrated

He is checking the daughter’s pulses by grabbing their hands. Holy shit. GREAT scene study, I always analyze a Tarantino film more... like I would a Kubrick film, but this made me really think about every scene in this film. Fantastic work, sir!

This is what it looks like when the right director finds the right actors to exchange the right dialogue in the right setting...brilliant!

Landa as a character is just genius .. his presence is tremendously intimidating and his manipulation and understanding of his surroundings is honestly perfect for portraying a hunter on his toes .

Great video and analysis of things I never noticed before.

Christophe Waltz's character Hans Landa was the best performance I've ever seen in film. Being "fluent" in 3 languages made him seem intelligent and also being a murderous madman made his character so interesting. Waltz is a genius actor. Your breakdown of this scene was as captivating as the scene itself, incredible job emotiondesigner!

Since this movie came out, I have always considered this to be the most chilling verbal interaction between two characters. I am a professional interviewer in my career, and was at the edge of my seat watching how Landa put on his fake friendliness show and over the top small talk. You could see the ease in which he performed, also suggesting that he had done this situation many times before. So he softens the mood briefly before he exerts his power with questions, and seems to really enjoy his job.

"I have never met the family" "I know their names and ages and where they supposedly went"

I just stumbled upon this, and I'm not really into film analysis; but what an incredible dissection of a scene. Makes me appreciate what distinguishes a director from a great director. Bravo!

Excellent analysis i definitely learned a lot, two things that stood out to me was during the first milk scene Landa is watching the daughters in particular the youngest. At 5:50 you can see the youngest daughter look at the ground while Landa is looking at her, this is probably the moment when he was able to determine their location. We can see again at 6:10 where the daughter makes a quick glance at the floor and then to the father. The second thing was that this is a small farm and communites tend to be pretty close-knit so its very likely all the locals are very familiar with each other and would know the children's approximate ages.

I’ve watched this film so many times and I’ve only just now noticed the sheer panic that moves across the daughters face when Landa mentions all the rumours being true, then plays it off with a passing comment about them being lovely. God damn that’s real stuff

One of my favorite scenes in one of my favorite movies. I’ve seen many dissections of this but this is hands down the best.

This is one of my all time favorite movie scenes - now I understand why.

I'll never forget this scene. Every time I watch this one my heart pounds in agony and feel the stress to my bones.

Christoph Waltz is one of my favorite actors, he is so convincing every time. He can transform from a nice guy to a monster in a blink of an eye.

You should do the dinner table scene in Django!

Thank you for this. Gives me a richer understanding of the devices of filmmaking. In addition to the framing, also thought the lighting of these scenes was so contributory and superb. Tarantino is a master.

This is definitely one of my favorite movies of all time, and even though I've seen it so many times I'm still getting that sense of dread and fear from the opening scene in this video. Quentin Tarantino is a fucking master, one of the greatest film directors ever.

Wow. I know nothing about film making, and your analysis brought so many things I never noticed to my attention. Really well done.

Tremendous job, my friend. This is a beautiful and well-made video. Thank you for taking the time to create this! Look forward to the next one

0:52 he's not chopping wood, he is hacking at a stump. I've always wondered...why??

This scene has since I first saw it been my favorite scene in any movie I've seen. I don't know exactly how long it is in its entirety, maybe 15 minutes? And it consists basically of only 2 people, in one room, face to face talking, but the tension building during the entire time sends chills down your spine. Both actors give an incredible performance. It was great seeing this breakdown of the scene.

Prior to you breakdown, I just knew that this scene, as well as the rest of the movie, was entertaining and evocative. Now, I know all the effort it took to have me so engaged. Thanks for your great work.

Waltz SUPREME and the way he changes face expression with the slightest movement is incredible, but al so the actor playin Lapaditte is huge

This amazing scene impressed me immediately. I've always described this as a chess match. Now I could even relate it to a game of pool. What's important is both players go in thinking they're better than the other. With Landa doing just enough keep it going (while seemingly unthreatening) as Pierre increasingly believing he controls the game. Ending with the mild seriousness drawing out Pierres horror and paying off as Landa goes in for the kill, pivoting during "sheltering enemies of the state..." to the crushing blow of knowing where they were at

I think it’s also worth mentioning that Waltz/Landa’s movements are extremely telling of who is in charge of the situation. Landa’s demeanor is laid back yet precise. One thing that always stands out to me is when he gets out his pen and paperwork. His movements are precise and almost mechanical, they don’t feel human. Even when he throws back the glass of milk he does it swiftly, with essentially one gulp. Nothing that he does really feels human as even his smile and lighting his pipe feel fake.

Wonderful analysis. This opening is a masterpiece. I get chills every time I watch it!

Dude the way Hans stares at la paditte, shoo! He is such a great actor, Great movie as well, and a great video, very informative and I learned quite a bit 😀

You did a good job on this video. This opening scene if my favorite scene in a movie. I have always though of this scene in the way that you have described. I love the way it is shot the dialogue between the the actors in different language that seems well spoken. A few things I would add that you might of touched on or didn't. There is no mother showing that he is the one to look over the family, the protector, just his daughters and his home. Hans, the bad guy, enters the scene from the left which is the side evil goes to/from. I felt Hans being in the house was showing intrusions of the safe place the father was the protector of. At the end the camera moving in the air over the rafters was showing the hawk flying over the rat. Hans exiting the door, dark in the house, Death of her family out side bright vibrant showing hope. There is a few more but a well shot scene.

Your analysis is every bit as compelling as this amazing scene. I'm grateful for what you have provided your subscribers. I will remain on the lookout for your next post. Thank you!

This is one of the best breakdowns of a scene I've ever scene. Bravo, wish you had more videos.

Hi mate, I have seen various breakdowns of films, scenes, camera/cinematography and lighting including this movie and this EPIC opening scene. I am a film-maker myself. This is hands down a learning experience for me which is amazing! Thank you so much for the breakdown. You got every beat, every camera movement and eery directorial framing choice spot on. QT is a genius but your analysis helps us all understand the language of cinema so much better. Thanks so much

Can you do more of these? This was incredibly informative and pleasant to watch. Thank you for this!

I love someone that finally talks about camera works

Amazing breakdown loved every second of it. Christopher Walt’s played literally THEE perfect role. The very moment his faces switches from almost playing around to completely serious and ask is him “You’re sheltering enemies of the state are you not?” Unreal acting. And the father whoever that actor is played his role almost perfect

OMG, so I knew that film-making was an art, and it was pretty technical, but I had no idea how much was involved, and for so many reasons. You have continued to elevate the role of Director in my mind so much higher than I previously regarded them. That was indeed a masterclass and you taught it so well. Hat's off to you for a wonderful job of explaining all that you did. Cheers.

After watching this beautiful scene coupled with your in-depth breakdown I immediately thought of the 'Like a Virgin' table scene in Reservoir Dogs, because that's another quality and complex work of art scene by QT.

this is one of my most favourite scenes ever. there’s so much more involved the the art than i had ever known! great video thanks

probably my favourite movie of all time, nice to see someone put so much effort in to letting me understand why i appreciate it so much. Thanks for the great insight & analysis.

Very underrated channel , deserves way more subs / views , excellent breakdown of these scenes thoroughly enjoyed - subbed

Something I did not notice before: when Landa goes to the daughters, he makes a beeline for the blonde, blue-eyed "Aryan" one, and when he makes a reference to their beauty, he is only looking at her. He looks at the other two almost as an afterthought.

I'm enjoying every single second of this analysis. As perfect as the scene itself. Great job man!

Brilliant. Both the analysis and Tarantino’s directing.

This has always been the best scene I've ever witnessed. I have worked in Law Enforcement for 27 years and spent much of that time in Investigations. Landa's interview is an absolute perfection of writing and delivery. There are several instances of the "Reid Technique" being employed by Landa which makes this, the most realistic fictional interview/interrogation I have ever seen. Brilliant!

Being all for inserting the correct detail I wonder what Lapedite is doing with the axe (not t hatchet). He is actually destroying his chopping base. On this base one would expect woodblocks being split by the axe...

I've been searching for a breakdown of this scene for long time, this is a great analysis of one of the greatest opening scenes of ANY MOVIE of ALL TIME

This video is why KZfaq exists right here. This was good stuff

Theres's also significance in the clock in shot 73 when the camera moves to the other side of table. It becomes the center of the shot hinting at time is now running out to coincide with Hans upping the pressure. For me the hat is also very important as it is in so many of the shots reminding you that Hans is a colonel in the German army, especially when he is being friendly, almost like a constant threat, even when he is not in shot. Or it could just be a hat on a table!

I've always wanted to be a filmmaker, but watching stuff like this makes me think I just don't have what it takes.

What an amazing video. I've watched this scene with a pen and notepad a dozen times trying to figure out the mechanics, but every time I literally just end up watching the whole movie. So truly, thank you!

Amazing scene, exceptionally establishing and memorable. Thank you for your in depth analysis, a delightful informative pleasure.

fabulous piece - duplicitous is pronounced with a soft c "s" sound.

Thank you very much. Your video made me enjoy this scene even more.

Do more, these were great :)

oh my gosh I love this analysis, please do more or someone recommend a youtuber who analyze like you because I love it so much

This was such a cool breakdown and such an amazing scene to do it with. You rock.

This is really great. A tremendous amount of detail here. Thanks.

Amazing breakdown of one of the greatest scenes ever. I enjoyed this thoroughly. Great work.

Man, the actor opposing Waltz must have been crapping himself upon the whole "You're hidding enemies of the state, aren't you?" change! So subtle how he goes from a friendly to a terrifying threat.

Tarantino specifically aquired the same pipe used by Sherlock Holmes for Hans Landa to draw that parallel... Also it is quite a welcome discovery to find a youtuber that is actually astute and insightful.

25:05 "Having never met the Dreyfuses, can you confirm for me the exact members...". Landa wasn't saying that LaPadite didn't know, he was saying, "Since I've never met them, can you tell me..."

ok, why i only watch it now? dude i want more on the table. Do not you dare to stop your channel, it has the most amazing scene analysis i ever watched. please do more like this one

We need more videos like this. Masterful breakdown.

nice job with this. can't figure out why this came up in recommended videos as it's not really a subject I'm particularly interested in, but this was really quite a fascinating breakdown

Wow this is such an underrated video,you did such an amazing job.

Woah, this is the type of content I really dig! Hope you guys do more film frame-by-frame breakdowns / analyses in the future!

What an amazing breakdown of a movie scene. Definetely won a subscriber!