The Big Easy (1987) Plot Summary Explained

Anne drops the charges because fellow officers destroy or suppress the crucial evidence linking Remy to the bribe. With the evidence tampered with, the prosecution cannot prove its case beyond reasonable doubt. However, the decision also reflects Anne's personal conflict, she has fallen in love with Remy and struggles to pursue a case against someone she cares for, even as her duty to uphold the law conflicts with her feelings.

Foreshadowing: Earlier tension between Anne and Remy about his unorthodox methods foreshadows this moral dilemma, as their professional conflict becomes entangled with their growing attraction.

• anne osborne
• remy mcswain
• corruption charges
• evidence tampering
• internal affairs

Kellom is shot and killed by DeSoto during the confrontation at the boat. When Kellom suggests dumping the drugs to cover their tracks, DeSoto views him as a liability and shoots him. However, Kellom manages to fatally shoot DeSoto before succumbing to his own wounds. The violent confrontation ends with both men dead and the boat exploding after Remy uses a flare gun to ignite the heroin stash.

Foreshadowing: The revelation that Kellom orchestrated the murders to cover the heroin operation establishes him as a dangerous figure willing to eliminate anyone who threatens the conspiracy.

• jack kellom
• desoto
• dodge
• boat explosion
• heroin smuggling

The ending strongly suggests Remy and Anne have just married. In the final scene, Remy carries Anne into her apartment in what appears to be a bridal carry, and they share a dance together. The film closes with this intimate moment, implying they have taken the next step in their relationship despite the turmoil they endured throughout the investigation.

Foreshadowing: Their romantic relationship develops throughout the film, with the final scene serving as the culmination of their bond after surviving the conspiracy together.

• remy mcswain
• anne osborne
• wedding
• final scene
• new orleans

DeSoto shoots Kellom because Kellom suggests dumping the heroin to eliminate evidence of their smuggling operation. DeSoto sees this as a betrayal, he views the drugs as their valuable payout from the operation. Rather than abandon the illegal enterprise, DeSoto chooses to eliminate Kellom, who he now considers a threat to their operation and their profits.

Foreshadowing: The detectives' involvement in the murders to cover the smuggling operation establishes their ruthless dedication to protecting their criminal enterprise.

• desoto
• kellom
• drugs
• boat yard
• murder conspiracy

Remy is effectively cleared when fellow officers destroy or suppress the evidence from the Internal Affairs sting operation. Without the crucial evidence, the prosecution cannot proceed, and the charges are dropped. This solution comes at a moral cost, it involves tampering with evidence and police complicity, which forces Anne to confront the corruption within the department she was investigating.

Foreshadowing: The presence of corrupt officers willing to protect one another is hinted at early in the film when Anne questions the integrity of Remy's fellow detectives.

• remy mcswain
• bribery
• internal affairs
• evidence
• charges dropped

The murders were orchestrated specifically to cover up a heroin-smuggling operation. Kellom, along with detectives DeSoto and Dodge, killed people to prevent them from discovering the drugs being moved through the boat yard. The murders were not random gang violence but a calculated effort to eliminate anyone who threatened to expose their criminal enterprise, using the appearance of a mob war as cover.

Foreshadowing: The initial investigation into the mob murder reveals signs of a wider war between crime families, which turns out to be a deliberate cover for the police-led smuggling operation.

• heroin smuggling
• murder conspiracy
• kellom
• boat yard
• drugs

Anne's relationship with Remy develops because she comes to understand that his unorthodox tactics stem from the realities of New Orleans police work, not corruption. As they work together and she sees his genuine commitment to justice, her initial judgment softens. Their emotional connection grows despite professional tensions, leading her to question whether her initial accusation was overly simplistic.

Foreshadowing: Their early confrontations establish the tension between Anne's idealist view of law enforcement and Remy's pragmatic approach, which gradually evolves into mutual respect and attraction.

• anne osborne
• remy mcswain
• romance
• trust
• police corruption

The confrontation begins when Remy and Anne arrive at the boat yard after uncovering the truth about the conspiracy. They find Kellom, DeSoto, and Dodge already in a tense standoff over the drugs. When DeSoto shoots Kellom and tries to escape with the heroin, Remy uses a flare gun to ignite the stash, causing a massive explosion that destroys the boat and ends the criminal operation.

Foreshadowing: The buildup to this confrontation includes the revelation of the smuggling operation and the revelation that Remy's own boss was behind the murders.

• boat explosion
• flare gun
• confrontation
• dodge
• desoto

Jack Kellom is both Remy's boss as a police lieutenant and his mother's fiancé. This personal connection makes the betrayal even more devastating for Remy, his own mother's romantic partner is revealed to be the mastermind behind the murders and drug smuggling operation that nearly destroyed his career and life.

Foreshadowing: The personal relationship between Kellom and Remy's family is established early, making the eventual revelation of his criminal involvement a powerful dramatic twist.

• jack kellom
• remy mother
• fiance
• betrayal
• police lieutenant