Character Relationship Map: Holy Year

Characters

• Max Lambert (played by Jean Gabin) — protagonist

  A tough older criminal and Pierre Bizet's fellow inmate, Max sees the crowds traveling to Rome for the Holy Year as cover for escape and plans to retrieve a buried gold fortune near Rome. Disguised as...

• Pierre Bizet (played by Jean-Claude Brialy) — supporting

  Max Lambert's fellow inmate, Pierre joins him in escaping prison and posing as a religious figure aboard the Rome-bound flight. Disguised as a priest and the bishop's secretary, he is initially reluct...

• Christina (played by Danielle Darrieux) — supporting
• Carla, terrorist (played by Nicoletta Machiavelli) — supporting

  Carla is a terrorist involved in the armed hijacking of Air Italia 312, whose passengers and crew are threatened while the hijackers demand money and a getaway car. Max speaks to her privately and urg...

• Christina's husband (played by Tommy Duggan) — supporting
• Commissioner Mazzola (played by Giampiero Albertini) — supporting

  Mazzola is the commissioner who learns that the religious identities aboard Air Italia 312 are false and that the men sought by authorities are escaped convicts. As the plane approaches Rome, he warns...

Canonical Relationships

Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.

• Christina's husband → Christina (husband)

Story Dynamics

Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.

• Commissioner Mazzola → Pierre Bizet (Conflict Pursuer Of Escaped Convict) — Mazzola's warning identifies Pierre, traveling as a priest, as a fugitive who may be arrested on arrival.

  Mazzola warns the crew to keep the priest aboard and says the men they are seeking are escaped convicts.

• Commissioner Mazzola → Max Lambert (Conflict Pursuer Of Escaped Convict) — Mazzola's warning places Max at risk of arrest as the plane approaches Rome.

  Commissioner Mazzola warns the crew to keep the disguised bishop aboard after landing, identifying him as a dangerous fugitive.

• Max Lambert → Carla, terrorist (Alliance Protective Appeal) — Max's appeal to Carla is an attempt to redirect the hijacking and protect those aboard; Carla rejects his religious argument.

  One of the disguised men speaks privately with Carla, urging her to abandon Tangier and head toward Rome. The account says he is willing to risk himse...

• Max Lambert → Pierre Bizet (Alliance Fellow Convicts And Escape Partners) — They plan and carry out an escape together, though Pierre initially questions Max's proposal.

  In prison, Max and Pierre discuss exploiting the crowds traveling to Rome to escape. They later get out and board Air Italia 312 in religious disguise...

Story Analysis

Two escaped convicts use religious disguises to travel toward Rome, but an aircraft hijacking and the discovery of their identities endanger their escape.

Plot Progression

1. A Plan in the Crowded Prison — Max argues that the Holy Year crowds could help him and Pierre escape, while Pierre questions the plan. Prison overcrowding forms part of the circumstances surrounding their eventual release.
2. Pilgrims and Hijackers — The escaped men board Air Italia 312 disguised as religious figures traveling to Rome. Their attempted concealment is put under pressure when armed hijackers seize the plane and divert it to Tangier.
3. A Dangerous Appeal — As the hijackers threaten passengers and crew, Max and Pierre try to handle the crisis without exposing themselves. Max privately urges Carla to change course, but she rejects his appeal.
4. Relief in the Air — The passengers and crew are freed from immediate danger, and the flight resumes toward Rome. The disguised men receive thanks, briefly appearing to have helped without revealing their identities.
5. The Masks Come Off — Officials learn that the religious identities are false and connect the men to escaped convicts. Mazzola warns the crew to keep them aboard as police prepare for their arrival in Rome.