Quote Originally Posted by rockzmom
In the flashback scene in the bar, who is with Stirlitz's wife?
Well, Jazzlyn, I'll try to describe my point, despite my poor English. First of all, I'm not a big fan of the MOVIE (although I like the novel very much). You may call me some sort of sexual chauvinist, but I feel a very big defference between the novel (wich was written by a man named Yulian Semenov) and the movie (wich was directed by a woman named Tatyana Liosnova). Although the plot was almost untouched by the movie director, the movie has a strong feeling of the woman's hand touch. For example: the "wife" theme was made special for the movie. In the novels Shtirlitz just left some girl in Russia and there is not a word in them about they were married, although they had a son. And of course the whole episode with the wife looks logically srange, if you know the plot (according to the novels Shtirlitz left Russia and didn't saw her from 1922 (when he was 22 and she was about 17). Besides, I think it was, if to put it mildly, not typical for foreign intelligence services, especially for Soviet intelligence service of that time, to arrange such meetings, even for most precious agents, with some long-time-non-seen-relatives in such an original manner. Of course the scene is very touching and other that stuff, but imho it was more than unnecessary. And, to answer your question, most likely, it was supposed that this guy was some sort of escort from Soviet intelligence service.
What is Gabi's role all in all of this? Anything?
Gabi and frau Zaurrch just another background insertion special for the movie, just ignore them . Btw, the image of the strong-man-who-is-faithful-to-its-twenty-years-not-seen-wife is also created special for the movie. For example, in "Alternative" you can find Shtirlitz's far non-Platonic romance with some German countess, who was a member of anti-nazi movement.
Also, I love how Stirlitz has those little, what I would now call, "House Moments." Like when he is playing chess and all of the sudden that look comes across his face and he magically has his answer.
And these are good ones, I agree. I love them too. Especially the later ones, when he makes hedgehog and fox from matches in Gestapo jail while thinking.