Character Relationship Map: Games

Characters

• Lisa Schindler (played by Simone Signoret) — protagonist

  An older German cosmetics saleswoman claiming psychic abilities who orchestrates psychological games for the couple. She stages fake affairs and supernatural encounters. Following Norman's accidental...

• Paul Montgomery (played by James Caan) — protagonist

  A wealthy businessman and socialite who hosts sadistic parlor games with his wife. He playfully tests a disguised revolver on Norman, accidentally killing him. He hides the body in a plaster statue, t...

• Norman (played by Don Stroud) — supporting

  A grocery deliveryman who agrees to participate in Lisa's staged affair with Jennifer. Paul threatens him with a revolver but accidentally shoots him dead. His body is hidden and later replaced by a p...

Canonical Relationships

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

• Lisa Schindler → Norman (Professional Stage Director) — Lisa recruits and directs Norman in a simulated domestic scenario.

  Lisa arranges a staged affair between the heiress's wife and Norman as one of the couple's games.

Story Dynamics

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

• Paul Montgomery → Norman (Conflict Killer) — Paul accidentally kills Norman during a staged threat.

  Paul fires a revolver at Norman; the first shot appears to be a joke, but the second shot kills Norman.

• Lisa Schindler → Paul Montgomery (Alliance Conspirator) — They form a criminal partnership that develops after the accidental killing.

  After Norman's death, Lisa and Paul cooperate in concealing the body and framing Paul's wife for murder.

Story Analysis

A fashionable social game evolves into murder, manipulation, and a final betrayal over a fortune.

Plot Progression

1. Games Behind Closed Doors — Paul and his wife entertain themselves with elaborate social games. Lisa arrives, claims psychic abilities, and begins designing more disturbing scenarios for the household.
2. The Joke Turns Deadly — Lisa stages an affair involving Norman, and Paul responds to a later advance with a revolver. A weapon that appears to contain blanks unexpectedly fires a lethal shot.
3. Hiding The Evidence — Paul conceals Norman's body in the elevator and transforms it into a plaster statue. Lisa is sedated while the household tries to preserve the appearance of normality.
4. Ghosts And Deception — Lisa's Death tarot card and her claim about a ghost intensify the supernatural atmosphere. Her departure leaves the heiress's wife alone in a carefully prepared trap.
5. The Fortune Trap — A Norman-like figure drives the heiress's wife into a shooting. Paul exposes the prosthetic deception, reports her to police, and reveals his plan to obtain her fortune.
6. The Final Betrayal — After the arrest, Paul and Lisa celebrate their apparent success. Lisa poisons Paul, takes the money, and leaves the townhouse alone.