Character Relationship Map: Der Fall

Characters

• Alfons Grendelmann (played by Walo Lüönd) — protagonist

  Alfons Grendelmann is the former police officer at the center of the story, claiming that he exposed child molestation in the upper police hierarchy and was dismissed for it. Working as a private dete...

• Marsha (played by Katrin Buschor) — protagonist

  Marsha is the carefree young woman associated with the Hippie and Hell's Angels generation. Her relationship with the private detective draws him into beatnik clubs and the alienated youth culture of...

• Frl. Gretz (played by Annemarie Düringer) — supporting
• Freddy (played by Fred Haltiner) — supporting
• Herr Bleiber (played by Klaus Knuth) — minor
• Frau Arbetz - Puffmutter (played by Stephanie Glaser) — minor
• Dr. Leu - Gymnasiallehrer (played by Fritz Lichtenhahn) — minor

Canonical Relationships

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

• Marsha → Frau Arbetz - Puffmutter (Family Guardian) — Puffmather who cares for Marsha
• Alfons Grendelmann → Dr. Leu - Gymnasiallehrer (Professional Witness) — Gymnasiallehrer with potential information about the case
• Alfons Grendelmann → Marsha (Professional Investigator) — Private investigator investigating Marsha's case

Story Dynamics

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

• Freddy → Herr Bleiber (Social Associate) — Connected through the criminal underworld
• Frl. Gretz → Herr Bleiber (Alliance Conspirator) — Partners in the blackmail operation
• Marsha → Frl. Gretz (Conflict Victim) — Young woman being exploited by Frl. Gretz
• Alfons Grendelmann → Herr Bleiber (Conflict Person Of Interest) — Individual involved in the blackmail operation
• Alfons Grendelmann → Freddy (Alliance Informant) — Source of information for the investigation
• Alfons Grendelmann → Frl. Gretz (Conflict Suspect) — Potential blackmailer involved in the case

Story Analysis

A disgraced former police officer becomes a private detective while descending through an alienated Zurich shaped by urban decline, frustration, and counterculture.

Plot Progression

1. A Disgraced Investigator — The protagonist is introduced as a former police officer who claims he was dismissed after discovering abuse cases in the police hierarchy. He is forced to become a private detective in northern Zuric...
2. The City Without Sun — Oerlikon becomes the protagonist's harsh environment, marked by industrial change, noise, rain, fog, and sterile urban spaces. His sexual frustration intensifies the sense of personal decline.
3. Counterculture Descent — A relationship with a carefree young woman draws the detective into beatnik clubs and the social world of the Hippie and Hell's Angels generation. Posters in her flat reinforce the period setting.
4. The Noisy Final Race — The story moves to Oerlikon's annual six-day bicycle race. The indoor event becomes the film's highly stylized climax and concentrates its themes of noise, spectacle, and alienation.