I'd like to address a motif of this film that I haven't seen explored on here, but observed in my reading. In the opening scenes, our protagonist is riding a train carriage, grabbing the attention of his cab mate through a display of magic. This theme of illusion and deception is accentuated a few times throughout, a coin trick is repeated, and eventually, revealed. The obvious role which it plays in the narrative structure is that which links it to Hermann's final act of defiance. As an overtone, it can be viewed as the power the narrator holds to deceive. But there is another way I believe it applies! Put on your thinking caps here. I have much less WWII knowledge than most, but am I not wrong that the allied forces' priority targets were german rail lines, used to bring munitions and supplies to the war's fronts? Let us harken back to where we began. In a train? In post WWII Germany?! Where the main character is performing a magic trick to establish the films motif of deception?! What did he mean by this?
