The Decline of the American Empire (1986) Le déclin de l'empire américain (original title)

Director:

Denys Arcand

Writer:

Denys Arcand

Release Date:

November 1986 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Plot:

Sexual revelations emerge when a group of academics and their partners spend a weekend at a country retreat.

Plot Keywords:

Sex | Female | Dinner | Discussion | Gym

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 13 wins & 6 nominations

Cast

Dominique Michel	...	Dominique St. Arnaud
Dorothée Berryman	...	Louise
Louise Portal	...	Diane Leonard
Pierre Curzi	...	Pierre
Rémy Girard	...	Rémy
Yves Jacques	...	Claude
Geneviève Rioux	...	Danielle
Daniel Brière	...	Alain
Gabriel Arcand	...	Mario
Évelyn Regimbald	...	Theresa
Lisette Guertin
Alexandre Remy
Ariane Frédérique
Jean-Paul Bongo	...	Transvestite

Directed by
Denys Arcand

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Denys Arcand

Produced by
Roger Frappier	....	producer
Pierre Gendron	....	line producer
René Malo	....	producer

Original Music by
François Dompierre

Cinematography by
Guy Dufaux

Film Editing by
Monique Fortier

Production Design by
Gaudeline Sauriol

Art Direction by
Gaudeline Sauriol

Costume Design by
Denis Sperdouklis

Makeup Department
Gaétan Noiseux	....	hair stylist
Cécile Rigault	....	makeup artist
Micheline Trépanier	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Lyse Lafontaine	....	production manager
Estelle Lemieux	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jacques W. Benoit	....	assistant director
Monique Maranda	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Charles Bernier	....	property master
Louis Gascon	....	assistant property master
Claude Lafond	....	carpenter
Alain Singher	....	property master

Sound Department
Yvon Benoît	....	boom operator
Richard Besse	....	sound
Diane Boucher	....	dialogue editor
Adrian Croll	....	sound mixer
Paul Dion	....	sound editor
Carole Gagnon	....	assistant sound editor
Marie-Claude Gagné	....	assistant sound editor
Louis Hone	....	foley mixer
Jean-Pierre Joutel	....	sound mixer
Andy Malcolm	....	foley artist
Paul Pagé	....	sound recordist
Lise Wedlock	....	foley assistant

Special Effects by
Louis Craig	....	special effects supervisor

Camera and Electrical Department
Yvon Boudrias	....	key grip
Bertrand Carrière	....	still photographer
Sylvaine Dufaux	....	second assistant camera
Claude Fortier	....	electrician
Jean-Pierre Lamarche	....	grip
Roger Martin	....	gaffer
Nathalie Moliavko-Visotzky	....	first assistant camera
Nathalie Moliavko-Visotzky	....	focus puller
Normand Viau	....	electrician

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Mario Davignon	....	key dresser
Pierre Perrault	....	costume assistant
Brunhilde Pradier	....	wardrobe seamstress

Editorial Department
Diane Boucher	....	assistant editor
Suzanne Dussault	....	post-production assistant

Other crew
Sylvain Arseneault	....	production assistant
Micheline Bonin	....	production accountant
Serge Bouthillier	....	title designer
Louise Cousineau	....	assistant production administrator
François Fauteux	....	production assistant
Jean-Pierre Fauteux	....	production assistant
Serge Gaudreau	....	title designer
Jean Guérin	....	production coordinator
Jean-Pierre Joly	....	title designer
Ken Korrall	....	location manager
Frédéric Lefebvre	....	production assistant
Monique Létourneau	....	production administrator
Louise Overy	....	title designer
Johanne Pelletier	....	production secretary
Johanne Prégent	....	scripte assistante
Val Teodori	....	title designer

Production Companies

• Corporation Image M & M
• Malofilm
• National Film Board of Canada (NFB)

Distributors

• Artificial Eye (UK)
• Cineplex-Odeon Films (USA) (subtitled)
• Distribuidora Internacional de Filmes (DIF) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Gativideo (198?) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Gativideo (2005) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Gativideo (2005) (Argentina) (VHS) (re-edited)
• Koch Lorber Films (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Les Films René Malo (1987) (Canada) (all media)
• MCA Home Video (1987) (USA) (video)
• Malofilm Home Video (1987) (Canada) (video)
• New World Home Video (1987) (Canada) (video)
• Seville Pictures (2003) (Canada) (DVD)
• Seville Pictures (2004) (Canada) (DVD)
• Seville Pictures (2011) (Canada) (DVD) (Blu-Ray)

Special Effects

• Intrigue (special effects)

Also Known As:

"Le déclin de l'empire américain" - Canada (original title)

Runtime:

101 min

Country:

Canada

Language:

French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Argentina:18 (original rating) | Finland:K-16 | Peru:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R | Brazil:14 | Iceland:16 | Hungary:16 | Portugal:M/16 | West Germany:18 | Australia:M | Argentina:13 (re-rating) | Italy:VM14

Filming Locations:

Eastern Townships, Montréal, Québec, Canada

Company:

Corporation Image M & M

Trivia:

The house in which the majority of the events take place, in Magog, burned down in 1989, was later rebuilt. The scene in which one of the women characters is having sex, seen through a window from outside, was actually shot through a garage window. The actress was sitting on the snow tires which the owner of the house stored in the garage. She told him that, thanks to the tires, it was one of the most comfortable scenes she had ever done.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Last Wedding (2001)

Power Meal

This is an extraordinary, in the very French (this is French Canadian,) slice of life film. Fidelity, infidelity, values, intellectuality, deceit, love, mortality, frienship beautifully explored by a great ensemble playing a great script with heart, no pretension, and to great result. This is one of those "trust me" films, almost inexplicable in its gathering power. Fine art, this.