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In Grand Budapest Hotel, when Gustave, Zero and Agatha return to the hotel to retrieve the painting the hotel has been occupied by the Zig Zag division. Only Agatha enters, Gustave and Zero wait in a lorry outside the building. A car drives up, Dimitri leaves it and enters the hotel. Zero and Gustave know that he will recognize Agatha and thus enter the hotel themselves to rescue her.

How did they know that Dimitri will recognize her?

Of course she is easily recognizable once seen even on photo, that is the plot function of the grotesque birthmark in the form of Mexico over half of her face. Dimitri has seen her photo in the files that Jopling acquired to find the people that helped Gustave escape from the prison. So it is indeed possible that Dimitri will recognize her as one of the persons that helped Gustave earlier.

But how did Gustave and Zero know about this immediate danger? I don't think it is likely that they know Jopling was specifically after her, acquired the photo from the office of servitude and labour, organized a file, and Dimitri read that file. And if he would not recognize her they create massive additional risks by being recognized themselves.

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  • Agatha herself recognizes Dimitri when descending the stairs with the painting and flees - why? Did I forget about a crucial meeting between both?
    – his
    Jul 6, 2014 at 22:24
  • When Dimitri sees Agatha on the stairs her file with photo from the office of labor & servitude is shown. Dimitri points at her and ask loudly who she is, and says a little quieter that he thinks she has his painting. That answers it on Agatha's part. After rewatching it I think the main topic is just a (sad) flaw.
    – his
    Jul 8, 2014 at 21:31
  • "that is the plot function of the grotesque birthmark" - Oh, and I thought it was just a totally unnecessary way of making her more weird, Wes Anderson you know.
    – Napoleon Wilson ♦
    Feb 16, 2015 at 1:45

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It could be a plot-hole, but I think it can be explained to certain level. As Gustave & Zero saw Dimitri to enter the hotel they both knew Dimitri must have gone there for a reason. And if he saw someone with painting in his/her hand he will definitely check it as "boy with apple" is missing and Gustave took it who was in-charge of the hotel at that moment. So they came to conclusion that if Dimitri saw Agatha, she could fall in danger. That's why they reacted. It's my point of view.

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