Ludvik is a formerly idealistic student whose life shifts drastically after he is expelled from the Communist Party over a misinterpreted joke on a postcard. Sent to a mining camp for his military service, he becomes jaded and alienated. Years later, he returns to his hometown harboring deep bitterness and a meticulously crafted plan for revenge against those who orchestrated his downfall.

Jaroslav is one of Ludvik's oldest friends. They bonded over their shared status as half-orphans and a mutual love for traditional Czechoslovakian folk music. He dedicates his adult life to preserving and modernizing these musical traditions under the communist regime. He takes immense pride in his heritage and eagerly anticipates his son's participation in an upcoming folk festival.

Helena is a passionate and sincere radio journalist who remains devoted to the Communist Party. Caught in an increasingly strained marriage, she feels isolated and emotionally vulnerable. She meets Ludvik when she interviews him for a broadcast, finding herself drawn to his apparent interest in her, unaware of the ulterior motives driving his attention.

Kostka is an old acquaintance of Ludvik who stands out in the aggressively atheistic society due to his steadfast Christian faith. He works as a scientist and manages his religious beliefs alongside his life under the communist regime. Despite their ideological differences, he maintains a lingering fondness for Ludvik and frequently hosts internal debates with him in his mind.

Pavel Zemanek is an influential Party member and a former university peer of Ludvik. He played an instrumental role in ensuring Ludvik's expulsion over a controversial postcard. He projects an image of political success while navigating a highly fractured personal life.

Lucie is a quiet, ordinary-seeming woman whom Ludvik encounters during his time completing hard labor. Her timid and reserved demeanor provides Ludvik with a sense of solace during his grueling daily life. She frequently buys him flowers but remains highly hesitant regarding his physical advances.

Marketa is a trusting, intelligent, but highly literal young student who struggles to understand irony or jokes. Her earnest nature and lack of humor draw Ludvik's attention, leading him to send her a politically provocative postcard that inadvertently triggers severe consequences for his life.

Vladimir is Jaroslav's son. He is a young man growing up in a rapidly changing Czechoslovakia. He is scheduled to participate in the traditional Ride of the Kings festival as the titular king, a role his father desperately wants him to embrace as a continuation of their cultural legacy.

Jindra is a young man who works directly for Helena. He harbors a deep, earnest infatuation with his older boss, frequently showering her with devotion that she largely ignores or dismisses.

Alexej is a young laborer assigned to Ludvik's unit in the mining camp. Unlike the cynical and jaded men surrounding him, he maintains an intense, unwavering devotion to communist ideology, struggling to prove his loyalty despite being exiled by the very system he reveres.

Vlasta is Jaroslav's wife and the mother of Vladimir. She holds a long-standing dislike for Ludvik, feeling validated in her negative opinion when he behaves poorly at her wedding.

Madame Koutecky is Ludvik's snobbish aunt who takes charge of his education after his father passes away. She represents a bourgeois attitude that the young, fiercely communist Ludvik deeply resents.

Miss Broz is a young woman involved with Pavel Zemanek. Her presence in town alongside Pavel highlights the fractured nature of his marriage to Helena and adds insult to Ludvik's complex plans.

Zdena is the twelve-year-old daughter of Helena and Pavel Zemanek. Her existence represents a permanent bond between her parents despite their failing marriage.