Alice and Martin

A gifted violinist in a local tango ensemble who mourns her sister's death. She is wary of Martin at first, then becomes passionately involved, and ultimately chooses to have the baby despite the turmoil.

Victor's illegitimate son who grows from a rejected child into a sought-after model. His obsession with Alice drives his actions, culminating in a fatal outburst and a guilty conscience that leads to his confinement.

A successful businessman and patriarch whose strained relationship with his sons masks a volatile family dynamic. His death follows an escalating quarrel in the family, setting the stage for a years-long fallout.

Martin's half-brother, a struggling actor who shares a Paris apartment with Alice. He moves between loyalty and conflict with Martin, in the end seeking reconciliation.

Victor's widow and the town's matriarch who remains guarded and unsympathetic. She ultimately informs the authorities about Martin's culpability in her husband's death.

The eldest son whose confrontation with Frédéric ends in tragedy, precipitating a deadly chain of events and a crisis of the family.

The town's major and the more volatile sibling, whose hostility underlines the family tensions and the perilous fallout of their wealth.

Martin's mother, a hairdresser whose relationship with Saïd threads through the early part of the story and shapes Martin's sense of family and belonging.

Jeanine's taxi-driver lover who features in the household's dynamic, illustrating the complexities and compromises within the family life.

A legal figure who appears in the story's aftermath, reflecting the consequences of the crimes and the pursuit of accountability.