The Grand Budapest Hotel Scene 22 Summary

  • It's night in Checkpoint 19, and time for our prisoners to get a move on.
  • They descend into the service tunnel, where Gustave lets them into the kitchen. They grab an enormous ladder, which they use to descend to the floor of the jail.
  • From there they climb, crawl, and tiptoe through a bunker filled with guards to a window. They roll out their rope ladder, which they use to descend the outside of the jail wall, and enter a steam vent that leads to a laundry room.
  • They find a trap door leading to a guard's game of cards. One of them must sacrifice himself, allowing the others to finally make it out of the jail alive.
  • On the outside, the other men say a quick goodbye to Gustave. Gustave is going off with Zero.
  • However, Zero didn't bring disguises or find a safe house, and he forgot the L'Air de Panache, Gustave's favorite perfume.
  • This makes Gustave incredibly angry and he says mean, hurtful things about Zero's homeland. He asks Zero why he ever left, and Zero explains to him about "the war."
  • Zero's family and whole village were killed. The survivors were forced to flee. He isn't an immigrant; he's a refugee.
  • They have a moment. Gustave offers a rare and sincere apology. He says that he is very proud of Zero and they embrace like brothers.