Summary

• Lt. Hicox's wrong three-finger gesture may not have been what gave the Basterds away.
• Major Hellström may have known they were lying from the very beginning.
• A fan theory suggests that Hellström recognized Hugo Stiglitz and used subtle tactics to expose the Basterds.

An Inglourious Basterds theory may help to get to the bottom of one of the deadliest mistakes in Quentin Tarantino's war movie. One of the Basterds’ plans failed due to a mistake by Lt. Hicox, who made the wrong “three-finger” gesture when ordering drinks, but a fan theory suggests that wasn’t what gave them away, and Major Hellström was a lot smarter than they thought. Inglourious Basterds followed different subplots with one common goal: kill as many Nazis as possible.

Inglourious Basterds' cast of characters included the titular Basterds, led by Aldo Raine. They joined forces with German actress turned Allie spy Bridget von Hammersmark and British officer Lt. Archie Hicox for Operation Kino, a British idea to attack the movie premiere attended by several members of the German high command. However, a meeting between Von Hammersmark went wrong when Hicox and two German-speaking Basterds blow their cover as German soldiers resulting in a gunfight. Von Hammersmark later explains that Hicox gave himself away to German officer Major Hellström by using the British hand gesture to order three drinks instead of “the German three” – but Major Hellström might have known they were lying from the very beginning.

The 3-Finger Gesture In Inglourious Basterds Explained

It Gave Everything Away

The tavern was full of German soldiers as they were celebrating Sgt. Wilhelm becoming a father. To not raise any suspicions, von Hammersmark told Hicox to stay a while, but they were interrupted by a drunk Wilhelm, who ended up getting on Hicox’s nerves. Wilhelm notes Hicox’s accent is strange, prompting an angry reaction from Stiglitz and drawing the attention of Major Hellström. After a tense conversation between Hellström and Hicox about the latter’s accent and birthplace, Hellström joined them for a friendly card game and offered to buy them some scotch which Hicox ordered with a three-finger gesture. Hellström’s attitude immediately changed and he revealed he knows Hicox is no German.

After the gunfight, von Hammersmark was the sole survivor, who then explained to Raine that Hicox made a mistake by making the three-finger order wrong. Hicox made the gesture with the index, middle, and ring fingers, while in Germany (and other Western European countries) they count three with the thumb, index, and middle finger. While it might seem like a minor or even insignificant detail, Hellström clearly got it, but that doesn’t mean that’s how he knew the Basterds were lying.

The 3-Finger Gesture Is Only Implied To Give The Basterds Away

It Is Never Outwardly Stated

Hellström’s facial expression changed as soon as he saw the “unorthodox three-finger” gesture. The history in Inglourious Basterds might not be true but this is a real gesture that would look odd to a German. As Hellström died in the gunfight, there’s no way to know for sure if that’s how he knew, and the only reason why viewers (and the rest of the Basterds) learn there’s a “German three” is through von Hammersmark’s explanation. With this in mind, it’s only implied that the unorthodox three was the reason the plan didn’t work, but Hellström might have known from the moment he heard Hicox and Stiglitz talk.

A Popular Fan Theory Suggests Something Different

Major Hellström Already Knew Who The Basterds Were

A theory posted on Reddit explains how Hellström knew who the Basterds were from the moment he approached their table. The author explains Hellström knew a lot more about German cinema than expected, so he knew Hicox was lying when he told him the story of him being from Piz Palü and appearing in a Riefenstahl film. After that came the part of the conversation where Hellström asked them what they were doing in France, as he knew all officers stationed there (or, at least, anyone “worth knowing”). Hicox came up with the excuse of him being there to escort von Hammersmark to the premiere, with the latter confirming this and adding that they were all her guests.

The biggest hint at Hellström knowing the Basterds were lying, however, is Hugo Stiglitz. When Stiglitz is introduced in Inglourious Basterds, viewers learn he was a German army soldier who murdered 13 Gestapo officers and thus was recruited by the Basterds, who actually saved him from being executed. The German who is interrogated claims

“everyone in the German Army has heard of Hugo Stiglitz”,

and his face was all over the German newspapers at the time. Hellström, then, recognized Stiglitz immediately, and all the “friendly” slaps to move him over and again before the card game were to toy with him and make him blow his cover, as he knew Stiglitz had an anger problem.

The author adds that Hellström was looking to get everyone at the table drunk to get an advantage to kill the Basterds team, which is why he goes first in the game, because if he won, everyone had to drink, and he later refused the scotch he just ordered because “scotch didn’t like him.” Another Reddit user added that Hellström was especially upset by the three-finger gesture because it was the first hint that everyone else in the bar could catch, and so he reacted fast. All these details add up and make it a believable theory, which also fills in some gaps, such as why no one seemed to react to Hugo Stiglitz casually entering the tavern with three other "German soldiers."

Tarantino is known for paying a lot of attention to detail in the dialogue of his movies, and this particular scene from Inglourious Basterds might be a very good example of this. Whether Hellstroöm truly knew who the Basterds were thanks to his knowledge of German cinema or not is up to every viewer, but what’s true is that he must have recognized Hugo Stiglitz and that the unorthodox three-finger gesture was only implied to be what gave them away, but it’s not for sure that it was the reason.