Character Relationship Map: Passages

Characters

• Tomas (played by Franz Rogowski) — protagonist

  A German filmmaker living in Paris who struggles with the predictability of his long-term relationship, leading him to seek passion through an affair with a younger teacher.

• Martin (played by Ben Whishaw) — protagonist

  An English printer and Tomas's husband who endures infidelity and emotional manipulation before ultimately choosing self-respect and ending the relationship.

• Agathe (played by Adèle Exarchopoulos) — supporting

  A young primary school teacher who engages in an affair with Tomas, falls deeply in love, and ultimately prioritizes her own well-being over their toxic dynamic.

• Amad (played by Erwan Kepoa Falé) — supporting

  A writer and novelist who becomes Martin's partner, providing a grounded and healthier contrast to Tomas's manipulative nature.

• Agathe's Father (played by Olivier Rabourdin) — minor
• Agathe's Mother Edith (played by Caroline Chaniolleau) — minor

Canonical Relationships

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

• Agathe's Father → Agathe (father)
• Agathe's Mother Edith → Agathe (mother)
• Martin → Amad (Romantic Partners) — Amad becomes Martin's alternative romantic relationship after Tomas and Martin separate.

  Martin meets Amad at a restaurant, and later breaks up with him after deciding to return emotionally to Tomas.

• Tomas → Agathe (Romantic Lovers) — Their affair begins as an impulsive encounter and develops into a complicated romantic attachment.

  Tomas dances with Agathe at a nightclub, goes to her home, and has sex with her. They later resume the affair and Tomas says he has fallen in love wit...

• Tomas → Martin (Romantic Husband) — Their marriage is the central emotional relationship of the film, strained by Tomas's infidelity and dissatisfaction.

  Martin is explicitly described as Tomas's husband, and they have maintained a long-term relationship.

Story Dynamics

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

• Agathe → Martin (Narrative Truth Teller) — Agathe's disclosure exposes Tomas's concealment and forces Martin to confront the final betrayal.

  During a lunch meeting, Agathe tells Martin that she had an abortion and that Tomas knew beforehand.

• Tomas → Amad (Conflict Rivalry) — Tomas views Amad as a rival for Martin's affection.

  Tomas calls Amad an arrogant prick and later storms out after finding him showering in Martin's apartment.

Story Analysis

A filmmaker's pursuit of renewed desire destroys the boundaries between marriage, love, and personal responsibility.

Plot Progression

1. A Marriage in Motion — Tomas finishes a film and begins an affair with Agathe after Martin declines to dance at the cast party. His blunt confession exposes the emotional instability already present in the marriage.
2. Desire Splits the Household — Tomas resumes seeing Agathe while arguing with Martin about the predictability of their relationship. Martin meets Amad, creating a new romantic possibility and intensifying Tomas's jealousy.
3. The Failed Separation — Tomas moves in with Agathe but continues intruding into Martin's life. His jealousy, career disappointment, and forced overnight stay reveal that he cannot accept the separation.
4. A Family That Cannot Form — Tomas reveals Agathe's pregnancy and proposes that he and Martin raise the baby together. The proposal deepens the conflict because it preserves the two men's bond at Agathe's expense.
5. The Cost of the Triangle — Agathe overhears Tomas and Martin having sex and later reveals her abortion to Martin. Martin ends the relationship, Agathe rejects Tomas, and Tomas is left alone in the streets of Paris.