Character Relationship Map: Black Ocean

Characters

• Moriaty (played by Adrien Jolivet) — protagonist

  Moriaty is one of the three young sailors at the center of the story. In 1972, he is aboard a French naval vessel bound for an unknown destination to help carry out nuclear bomb tests he has not yet w...

• Massina (played by Nicolas Robin) — supporting

  Massina is one of the three young sailors followed by the film. He serves aboard a French naval vessel in 1972 as it travels toward an unknown destination to support nuclear bomb tests. Like the other...

• Da Maggio (played by Romain David) — supporting

  Da Maggio is one of the three young sailors who principally anchor the story. Aboard a French naval vessel in 1972, he is headed with the crew to an unknown destination to help carry out nuclear bomb...

• The lieutenant (played by Jean-Marc Michelangeli) — supporting

  The lieutenant is an officer aboard the naval vessel who repeatedly reprimands Massina for slipping away from duty. During a gas-mask drill, he orders a sailor who is struggling to breathe to continue...

• Mayer (played by Nicolas Gob) — supporting

  Mayer is a sailor aboard the vessel who is sent to deal with a rope high on the mast despite his fear of heights. His task is part of the crew’s routine and teasing, alongside the drills, watch change...

• Sailor (played by Stephen Scardicchio) — supporting

Canonical Relationships

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

• Mayer → The lieutenant (Professional Tasking Officer And Sailor) — Mayer is assigned a dangerous-feeling mast task while afraid of heights; the account does not identify who gives the order.

  Mayer is sent to deal with a rope high on the mast despite his fear of heights.

• The lieutenant → Sailor (Professional Commanding Officer And Subordinate) — The lieutenant's order makes the sailor continue the drill despite his difficulty breathing.

  During a gas-mask drill, a sailor struggles to breathe, and The lieutenant orders him to continue.

• The lieutenant → Massina (Professional Commanding Officer And Subordinate) — The lieutenant enforces naval discipline by reprimanding Massina when he leaves his duties.

  The lieutenant repeatedly reprimands Massina for slipping away from duty.

Story Dynamics

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

• Moriaty → Da Maggio (Conflict Antagonistic Teasing) — Moriaty's resentment turns into a troubling practical joke that makes Da Maggio appear dead and alarms the others.

  Moriaty resents what he sees as Da Maggio's constant lies and posing, then leaves him covered with palm fronds to show what he calls the truth.

• Massina → Da Maggio (Social Confidants) — Their private conversation shows a personal, reflective exchange amid the crew's joking and routine.

  Massina and Da Maggio share a quiet conversation about sleep, memory, and the things Da Maggio says at night.

• Moriaty → Massina (Alliance Scheme Partners) — Moriaty involves Massina in a scheme whose specifics are not established in the account.

  Moriaty secretly practises Morse code and later draws Massina into a scheme, although the details are unclear.

Story Analysis

Young sailors endure an uncertain naval voyage, unsettling military exercises, and uneasy camaraderie while their destination and fishing trip remain unresolved.

Plot Progression

1. Routines at Sea — The sailors settle into shipboard routines marked by reprimands, drills, teasing, and uncertainty about their destination. Massina cares for a troublesome dog while the crew passes time with jokes and...
2. Morse and Military Drills — Moriaty secretly practises Morse code and draws Massina into a scheme whose details remain unclear. The exercises grow more demanding, culminating in a sailor being ordered to continue a difficult gas...
3. The Blast and Its Aftermath — The crew witnesses a bomb detonation, and Massina says he was on the bridge and took photographs. The sailors worry about possible exposure because they wore goggles rather than masks and say the offi...
4. Heat, Photographs, and Deception — After time passes, the sailors are ashore in intense heat, drinking beer and preparing to fish. Moriaty's resentment of Da Maggio's posing leads to a palm-frond prank that alarms the others.
5. Birthday and Open Waters — The group marks Massina's twentieth birthday with jokes and hopes of catching a tiger shark. The shark remains uncaught, and the destination and fishing outcome are left unresolved.