The Road Back

A plucky squad member whose rough humor and easygoing nature provide a counterpoint to the grim reality of trench life. He embodies camaraderie and acts as a stabilizing presence within the unit as they face the approaching Armistice. His loyalty underscores the human bonds that persist after years of conflict.

A fellow soldier whose experience reflects the generation that endured the war and now confronts a world that is hard to decipher. His perspective helps illustrate the disorientation and changes that follow a long conflict. He represents the personal cost carried by veterans.

A veteran whose humor provides relief but also exposes the strains of returning to civilian life. He highlights how soldiers cope with trauma through humor and stubborn resilience.

An aristocratic captain who maintains authority even as the war ends, holding the line until the remnants of his company return to Germany. His character embodies the old-world leadership that struggles to adapt to the new postwar order.

The lieutenant who is attacked by revolutionaries yet saved by teammates, only to discover personal betrayals that shake his faith in romance and honor. He personifies the tension between loyalty to comrades and the moral costs of war.

A key figure in the courtroom sequence where a veteran defends his actions after killing a war profiteer. He embodies the legal reckoning that follows wartime violence.

The attorney who represents the state in the trial that questions the morality of violence in postwar Germany. His performance frames the legal and ethical debates central to the climax.

The defense counsel who argues for the soldier’s actions, challenging the justice system’s expectations of postwar behavior. His defense underscores the film’s ambiguity about right and wrong in wartime contexts.