Character Relationship Map: The Ninth Circle

Characters

• Ruth Alkalaj (played by Dušica Žegarac) — protagonist

  Ruth is a Jewish girl whom Ivo's Catholic family protects by arranging her marriage to their son. She gradually forms a closer bond with Ivo, but persecution continues to endanger her: she is arrested...

• Ivo Vojnović (played by Boris Dvornik) — supporting

  Ivo is the young son in a Croatian Catholic family that arranges his marriage to Ruth to protect her from Nazi persecution. He initially resents the arrangement and longs for his former life with Magd...

• Ivo's father (played by Branko Tatić) — supporting

  Ivo's father is part of the Croatian Catholic family that arranges Ivo's marriage to Ruth as a way to protect her from persecution. When Ruth runs into the streets after Ivo's emotional outburst, he r...

• Aunt (played by Vera Misita) — supporting
• Zvonko (played by Dragan Milivojević) — supporting

  Zvonko is one of Ivo's classmates who joins the Ustaše. He intervenes when Ruth is humiliated in public, but later bullies Ivo at school by marking his coat with the symbol for Jews. By the time Ivo s...

• Ivo's mother (played by Ervina Dragman) — supporting

  Ivo's mother belongs to the Croatian Catholic family that arranges his marriage to Ruth to shield the Jewish girl from persecution. When Ruth disappears, she is among the parents who plead with Ivo no...

• Mladen (played by Mihajlo Kostić 'Pljaka') — supporting
• Magda (played by Beba Lončar) — supporting

  Magda is Ivo's close friend and the girl for whom he has romantic feelings before and during his arranged marriage to Ruth. After learning that Ivo is marrying Ruth, she distances herself from him. A...

• Ruth's father (played by Božidar Drnić) — supporting

  Ruth's father is a Jewish man whose name appears on a public bulletin board during a bomb alert, indicating that he has been executed. Ruth discovers the notice while briefly outside alone and breaks...

• Ruth's mother (played by Đurđa Šegedin) — supporting
• Priest (played by Nedim Omerbegović) — supporting
• Former officer trapped in a raid (played by Dragutin Krelijus) — minor
• Ustasha with a team (played by Viktor Leljak) — minor
• Camp inmate (played by Etta Bortolazzi) — minor
• Police officer (uncredited) (played by Zvonimir Ferenčić) — minor
• Ustasha officer (played by Vladimir Krstulović) — minor
• Ustasha on the balcony of the college (played by Emil Glad) — minor
• Ustasha (played by Zlatko Madunić) — minor
• College colleague (uncredited) (played by Rikard Simonelli) — minor
• Police officer (uncredited) (played by Rikard Brzeska) — minor