We discuss the ending of the 2023 Netflix film Blood & Gold, which will contain spoilers.
The final days of Hitler’s regime are winding down in Blood & Gold. Heinrich, a German deserter, is running from his fellow Nazis. After being caught and dragged by their deranged officer, von Starnfeld, and his psychotic sergeant, Heinrich is strung up to a tree and left to die.
However, a woman named Elsa comes to his rescue, cutting him down and saving his life.
Blood & Gold Ending Explained
Elsa and her brother, Paule, reside on the outskirts of a remote village. Unfortunately, the Nazis are searching for a secret Jewish treasure rumored to be hidden within the community. The town is rife with suspects, ranging from Sonja, who resembles Eva Braun, to the corrupt Mayor.
The situation takes a drastic turn when the SS squadron takes Paule back to town, prompting Elsa and Heinrich to embark on a mission to rescue him.
Who killed Paule?
Officer von Starnfeld shot and killed Paule. After the officer dispatched two of his men to hang Paule from the church bell overseeing the town, Paule fought back by pushing one Nazi out the window and shooting the other. The reason the Nazis were attempting to kill Paule was due to his Down syndrome, as they referred to him as a “moron” and did not consider him part of their “master race.”
Paule then seized a machine gun and fired bullets toward the ground below, attempting to kill as many Nazis as possible. Despite Paule’s efforts, von Starnfeld remained steadfast and fatally shot Paule in the head using a sniper rifle.
How does Else Kill von Starnfeld?
After forcing Elsa to be his fiancée, Elsa kills von Starnfeld by forcefully administering a cyanide pill down his throat. The officer wears a half mask, reminiscent of the one worn by the character Richard Harrow from Boardwalk Empire, concealing a ghastly injury to the left side of his face. Elsa discovers a cyanide pill within the locket he wears around his neck.
Elsa requests a kiss, revealing their tongues are touching, and his teeth are exposed due to a hole in his cheek. She then forcefully inserts the pill into von Starnfeld’s throat. When dissolved or broken, the pill rapidly deprives the body of oxygen, resulting in a swift death.
Who stole the gold?
The local residents stole the gold from a Jewish family, the Lowensteins, in 1938. An angry crowd holding torches begins to gather around the Lowenstein family’s home as they collect their belongings. The local townsfolk want to remove the ‘Jewish vermin’ from the community, and Burgermeister Richard leads this revenge as a response to a fallen official named Rath.
While the Lowenstein family tries to leave under the cover of the night, the patriarch of the family is shot in the head. Unnoticed by anyone, a box of gold falls off their truck. Sonja quickly covers it with her coat while the rest of the family is being murdered. Sonja, Richard, and other prominent officials hide the gold in the town graveyard.
Who survives in Blood & Gold?
The only two characters to survive Blood & Gold are Heinrich, Elsa, and Sonja. After the priest hid the gold in the church and booby-trapped it with two grenades, only Sonja survived the blast, and the others responsible for the theft were killed. The sergeant and the remaining Nazi squadron entered the church and shot the priest.
Irmgard, a skilled hunter, begins to shoot members of the German squadron with her rifle. However, she is killed by the sergeant, who then injures Heinrich and chokes Elsa, pinning her to the ground. Heinrich hits the sergeant from behind with a gold brick. He falls over on his back, head bleeding, and Heinrich violently shoves the brick into his mouth, killing him.
Heinrich and Elsa walk away from the church, badly injured, but the German deserter is then reunited with his daughter. Meanwhile, Sonja survives the booby-trap and shoots the last remaining Nazis, a German medic who thinks he has the gold to himself, from behind.
Who ends up with the gold in Blood & Gold?
The film ends with the American Army confiscating the gold from Sonja. She was driving a Nazi jeep when she was struck by an American tank shell, causing the automobile to explode and sending Sonja flying along with the gold bars. The soldiers gathered the gold, recognizing it as their reward after a long war, which was the Nazis’ excuse.
What did you think of the ending of the 2023 Netflix film Blood & Gold? Comment below.
