Protagonist

Character Role Analysis

Zero

Mustafa being the narrator of the action in 1932 naturally makes Zero the center of all the action. In fact, apart from Gustave's escape from Checkpoint 19, everything we see involves our young Aq Salim al-Jabatan lobby boy.

Is Grand Budapest a coming of age story? Do we see Zero grow from an innocent, naïve lad into a man over the course of the film's zany action? Not exactly. This isn't your typical bildungsroman, but that doesn't mean Zero doesn't change… and it certainly doesn't mean he isn't our protagonist.

While it could be argued that Gustave, and not Zero, is the film's true center, we have to remember that it is through the eyes of Zero and memory of Mustafa that we observe and assess our larger-than-life concierge. Gustave provides the film with his own world, and The Grand Budapest Hotel is the story of how Zero came to be a part of it.