Character Relationship Map: The Stranger

Characters

• Mercedes (played by Goya Toledo) — protagonist

  A Mexican femme fatale who arrives in Vienna with her boyfriend to smuggle cocaine. After a police crackdown ruins their plans, she abandons Rainer and manipulates Harry to help her sell the drugs and...

• Rainer (played by Martin Feifel) — protagonist

  Mercedes's German boyfriend and accomplice in smuggling a kilo of cocaine into Vienna. His involvement in the botched deal sets off the chain of events that leads Mercedes to abandon him.

• Harry (played by Hary Prinz) — supporting

  A lonely and bored cab driver in Vienna who becomes entangled in Mercedes's scheme. He agrees to help her find a buyer for the drugs in exchange for cash and a chance to escape his mundane life.

Canonical Relationships

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

• Mercedes → Rainer (Romantic Boyfriend) — They are romantic partners whose criminal plans place severe pressure on their relationship.

  Mercedes arrives at Vienna airport with her German boyfriend Rainer. Their relationship deteriorates after the smuggling plan fails.

Story Dynamics

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

• Mercedes → Harry (Alliance Scheme Partner) — Mercedes recruits Harry as an improvised partner in her attempt to sell the cocaine.

  Mercedes hooks up with Harry, and he agrees to help her find a buyer for the drugs.

• Rainer → Harry (Conflict Indirect Rival) — The two men are linked by Mercedes's shift from one partner to the other.

  Mercedes abandons Rainer and then hooks up with Harry, placing Harry in the position formerly occupied by Rainer.

Story Analysis

A failed cocaine scheme links two lonely amateurs whose hopes of escape become entangled in Vienna's dangerous night world.

Plot Progression

1. Smuggling Meets Vienna — Mercedes and Rainer arrive in Vienna with a kilo of cocaine. A major drug crackdown destroys their access to buyers and money.
2. The Broken Partnership — The failed operation intensifies the tension between Mercedes and Rainer. Mercedes becomes disgusted with him and abandons their shared plan.
3. A Dangerous Proposition — Mercedes meets Harry, a lonely and bored cab driver, and hooks up with him. She offers him a deal that could provide cash and a possible escape from his routine.
4. Night Streets And Promises — Harry agrees to help Mercedes find a buyer for the cocaine. Together, the two amateurs move through Vienna's treacherous drug trade while pursuing different hopes of escape.
5. Pawn Or Escape — The partnership becomes uncertain as Harry's role may be only that of a pawn. Mercedes seeks money to go home, while Harry hopes her promises can change his life.