The Cast of Inglourious Basterds

In Quentin Tarantino‘s alternate history take on World War 2, Hitler and all the major players in the Third Reich are executed during a screening of Nation’s Pride, the film within the film about a sniper who single-handedly took out hundreds of enemy soldiers. Hitler himself is machine gunned in the face, all while another revenge plot unfolds and the entire theatre erupts in flames.

The fire was real, and quickly grew out of control. A Swastika flag was in place over the balcony where Hitler’s death takes place. It was held in place by steel cables. However, once the fire reached nearly 2,000 Fahrenheit, those cables liquefied and the flag unexpectedly fell. Had the actors remained on the balcony just a few seconds longer, they would have been there when it collapsed into the fire below.