A Report on the Party and the Guests

The host's adopted son who appears friendly at first but soon asserts authority in the clearing. He navigates the line between civility and coercion, pushing the group to conform and policing interactions. Rudolph's calm demeanor hides a willingness to escalate control, including pursuing the missing guest with the host's blessing. His actions anchor the dinner's unsettling political undertone.

A defiant picnicker who challenges the leader's game and crosses the forbidden boundary. His insistence on answers triggers hostility from the host's enforcers and exposes the fragility of the group’s unity. Karel's resistance highlights the personal cost of the social experiment. He becomes a focal point for the tension between individual agency and collective control.

The host of the countryside gathering who tries to maintain order as the ritual unfolds. He is curious and pliant, eventually embracing the idea of tracking the missing guest with a dog, illustrating his complicity in the escalating control. Harald's reactions reveal how social rituals can both entertain and intimidate. He embodies the tension between hospitality and coercive spectacle.

The missing man's husband who leaves the table during dinner, triggering questions about loyalty and the price of conformity. His absence reframes the party as a test of endurance and memory rather than a celebration. The moment underscores how personal relationships are subsumed by the ritual's demand for cohesion.