the SS officers rub their eyes whenever they hurt max

did you notice that in at least two instances whenever an officer hurts max, he rubs his eye like he was crying or had some dust in it? i noticed it first in the train scene, where the glasses officer is writing something down and looking off scene, towards the door of the wagon where max is sitting in. he looks kind of irritated, rubs his eye and the next scene is, they throw max' dancer friend out of the train.

i found it instantly very cool, a reminder how that is adapted from a play, and artificial gestures are used to outline contradicting feelings. for me, that is a virtue of the medium play. i wish more films would use that pantomime kind of stylstic means.

the second time the eye rubbing occurs when they leave the train, stop for a rest in the rain, and after it clears and they are going again, max is still sitting on the dirt. an officer behind him says something like get going and kicks and hits him. after that there are a few seconds where the off. just stands arround, confused looking too, and then rubs something out of his eye.