He knows right away what it means. Is that accurate? I mean, we're always told that the world didn't know the extent of the atrocities carried out by the Nazis until the camps were liberated in '45. So why would he be familiar with that small fact?
shareThank you daed, I was just watching this film and noticed that too. From my knowledge of the war, that does seem a flaw. Information had leaked out about the camps, but many people discounted the horror stories as propaganda. In June 1944, there is pretty much zero chance a soldier like Pike would have known what her tattooed number meant or the names of the two camps she mentions.
I have seen enough to know I have seen too much. -- ALOTOshare
A great deal was known about the 'Final Solution' by Allied intelligence by mid 1944-various Jewish and Resistance groups had supplied testimonies and even photos of the camps and aerial recce photos had also shown the camps and railway transports etc. As the James Garner character is in intelligence it's conceivable he would have knowledge of this (although this is not self evident, just possible).
'What is an Oprah?'-Teal'c.
You're correct but don't forget that she showed him the number without saying a word - expecting him to know instantly what the tat signified. Also, he then asks her about the 'camps' she was imprisoned in and she rattled off the names of 2, the first being one of the most notorious (Auschwitz or maybe Dachau, I now) but the second one (Ravensbrück) was not nearly as well known to the movie going public (yeah, I'm speakin' for the 1965 movie going public - every last one of 'em :-) The scene was shot as if these 2 really were having the conversation in 'the present' (1950) or at least post Nuremberg trials.
I'm always amazed how directors/actors miss these kinda things - especially in a scene like this where the dialogue has to be worked out carefully beforehand as the time line thing was central to the whole Nazi plan to fool Maj. Pike.
You would think this kind of 'oversight' would be picked up on by somebody/anybody, if even by one of the lighting people ...
I've always enjoyed both Mr Garner and Ms Marie-Saint films but wouldn't you think that at some point during
rehearsals one of them would have asked 'Wait, would this Pike character have picked up on the 'tattoo' or the names of the camps in 1944 ?' . Seems to me to be such a simple, obvious question to ask at some point during the film making process - I would think during the first read through of the script by Garner and/or Marie-Saint ! Not that this kinda thing doesn't happen in many other movies/directors/actors etc., I don't mean to pick on these 2 in particular.