"The Picture Everyone Wants to See"
To Be or Not to Be - Movie Quotes
Memorable Quotes
So they call me Concentration Camp Ehrhardt?
— Colonel Ehrhardt
Context:
Ehrhardt is speaking to Joseph Tura (disguised as Siletsky) and chuckles at his own terrifying reputation.
Meaning:
A dark, satirical jab at the regime's self-awareness (or lack thereof). It highlights how the Nazis were perceived by the outside world vs. their own internal logic.
What he did to Shakespeare we are doing now to Poland.
— Colonel Ehrhardt
Context:
Ehrhardt comments on Joseph Tura's "hammy" acting in Hamlet, unaware he is talking to the actor himself.
Meaning:
One of the most biting lines in cinema history, equating cultural vandalism with military destruction.
Heil myself.
— Bronski (disguised as Hitler)
Context:
During a rehearsal, an actor dressed as Hitler walks in and salutes himself to prove his costume's effectiveness.
Meaning:
Reduces the cult of personality surrounding Hitler to a punchline, emphasizing the narcissism of the dictator.
I prefer a slow encirclement.
— Maria Tura
Context:
Maria is flirting with Professor Siletsky to distract him and gain information.
Meaning:
A masterful use of the "Lubitsch Touch," using military terminology as a sexual double entendre.