“You are not now in England.”
Why it's great
It states a plain fact, and the threat lives entirely in 'not now', which makes it colder than a shout.
Register
Formal
Use it yourself
You are not now in your old office, so the rules here apply.
00:00 / 02:46
00:00 / 02:46
Candy Confronts Kaunitz in Berlin, Explained
The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp · 1943
Chapter 8 of 30 · 2'46"
In a Berlin cafe, Kaunitz makes a scene and the room turns on the Englishman. Candy gives as good as he gets, and when he calls the Alldeutsche Verband shameful, the warning comes back: "You are not now in England." From there, the argument only escalates.
Key moments
Start here, then watch the full scene- 0:29–1:52
Kaunitz Makes a Scene
82s - 1:52–2:44
Calling That Skunk a Friend of Mine
53s
Candy Confronts Kaunitz in Berlin, explained
What happens
At a Berlin cafe, Kaunitz spots Candy and deliberately makes a scene. Candy tells him to stop, then handles the man himself; the German crowd blames the English visitor. When Candy says the Alldeutsche Verband should be ashamed of itself, a voice reminds him he is no longer in England.
What's really going on
The scene is a diplomatic quarrel played out in a cafe, where manners matter more than fists. Kaunitz turns a personal grudge into a public performance, and Candy refuses to lower himself to it — until he does, and then the room turns his act of self-defence into an insult to Germany. The key line is the cold reminder, "You are not now in England," which tells him that his assumptions about fair play do not travel. Candy answers with the logic that will define his whole life in the film: if the officers belong to that organisation, then they should be ashamed of it too. He is not arguing about the facts on the table; he is insisting that some standards apply everywhere. What the others hear is provocation, and what follows will be a duel.
Key lines & what they mean
- “You are not now in England.”
- The warning that neutralises his assumptions: British fair play and British rights do not apply here, so he should watch himself in this room.
- “It's going a bit far to call that skunk a friend of mine.”
- Candy rejects the polite fiction being offered to calm the room; he will not accept a version of events that flatters the man who provoked him.
- “Then the officers of the Imperial German Army ought to be ashamed of themselves, too.”
- The line that turns an insult into a principle: if an organisation spreads lies, its members share the shame, whatever their uniform.
- “This gentleman and Herr Kaunitz are old friends.”
- A soothing lie told to defuse the room, but Candy refuses it, and the attempt to pretend the quarrel is between friends only sharpens it.
Theme
- Pride — Candy will not let an insult to his country stand, even when he is outnumbered; his dignity matters more to him than the safe response.
- Courage — Standing alone in a hostile room, he says what he believes rather than what will calm the crowd, and accepts that a duel may follow.
What this chapter teaches
Teaching points
Review right after watchingMy level3/6
A1–C2 is the CEFR scale. Cards above the level you pick fade, and playback will not auto-pause on them.
Language points
Click a card to jump to its moment in the videoGolden lines
A great line in its own right — why and how to use it“It's going a bit far to call that skunk a friend of mine.”
Why it's great
Going a bit far sounds measured, then skunk lands the insult, so politeness and contempt share one line.
Register
Informal
Use it yourself
It's going a bit far to call one bad week a crisis.
“Then the officers of the Imperial German Army ought to be ashamed of themselves, too.”
Why it's great
Ought to turns an insult into a moral claim, and the closing 'too' throws the charge straight back.
Register
Formal
Use it yourself
Anyone who ignores that warning ought to be ashamed of themselves.
“This gentleman and Herr Kaunitz are old friends.”
Why it's great
It is a calm lie that rescues the room, dressing open hostility as old friendship.
Register
Neutral
Use it yourself
Easy, you two are old friends; nobody means any harm.
Up next · 09draw lotsThe scene: German Officers Demand a DuelTakeaways
What you walk away with- 'You are not now in England' is a cold threat.
- 'Asked for it' blames the victim for the trouble.
- 'A good lad' soothes like a parent, not a peer.
- 'Ought to' turns an insult into a moral claim.
People also search
Questions, then the linesWhy does Kaunitz make a scene in the cafe?
To humiliate Candy in public. He turns a private grudge into a performance for the room, counting on the crowd to side with him against the foreigner.
What does "asked for it" mean?
It means someone brought the trouble on themselves and deserved what came. Candy uses the idea to justify his response to Kaunitz's provocation.
Why does the room turn on Candy?
Because he humiliates a German in front of other Germans. The crowd reads his self-defence as an insult to the country, and they tell him he is not protected by English rules here.
Why does Candy say the officers should be ashamed too?
Because they belong to the same organisation he has just condemned. His point is one of principle: if the group spreads lies, its members share the blame, whatever their uniform.