Chinese Roulette

The events unfold in a contemporary German setting during a weekend at a country house. The bourgeois milieu, refined manners, and casual references to power and privilege reflect modern social anxieties. The time frame underscores private betrayals, family strain, and the distance between outward polish and inner rot.

The action centers on the Christ family’s rural estate outside Munich, a secluded manor that becomes a pressure chamber for hidden desires. The sprawling rooms, creaking corridors, and formal meals frame a world of wealth, propriety, and looming deception. The house and its staff serve as a stage where appearances mask infidelity and resentment, constantly tested by the weekend’s revelations.

💔 Infidelity

Infidelity drives the plot as Gerhard and Ariane maintain secret affairs that destabilize the family. Angela’s accusations tie her disability to her parents’ infidelities, revealing a cycle of blame and neglect. The couples’ deception persists as they attempt to normalize their relationships despite the tensions.

🔒 Power & Control

Wealth and social status grant power to the adulterous couples, yet the housekeeper Kast and her son Gabriel seek to leverage those connections for their own ends. The weekend becomes a test of who controls access to the couple’s influence and who gets to define family loyalty. Every interaction functions as a maneuver in a quiet, lethal game of status.

🎭 Performance & Deception

The dinner and the game of Chinese Roulette turn truth into performance, forcing characters to confront what they are willing to reveal. Each partner masks vulnerability with wit, cruelty, or bravado. The grotesque dolls and staged politeness heighten the sense that everyone is playing a role.

⚖️ Family Blame & Guilt

Angela’s revelation that the parents’ relationship to her illness fueled their affairs frames a core moral question: who bears responsibility for a child’s happiness? The mother and father contest blame, while Angela uses the game to balance rival loyalties and expose hypocrisy. The film leaves the ultimate outcome ambiguous, inviting viewers to judge guilt.