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The Decline of the American Empire

Original title: Le déclin de l'empire américain
  • 1986
  • R
  • 1h 41m
IMDb RATING
7.1/10
8.5K
YOUR RATING
The Decline of the American Empire (1986)
Watch Bande-Annonce [VO]
Play trailer2:17
2 Videos
65 Photos
ComedyDrama

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

  • Director
    • Denys Arcand
  • Writers
    • Denys Arcand
    • Gabriel Arcand
    • Mark Blandford
  • Stars
    • Dominique Michel
    • Dorothée Berryman
    • Louise Portal
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    7.1/10
    8.5K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Denys Arcand
    • Writers
      • Denys Arcand
      • Gabriel Arcand
      • Mark Blandford
    • Stars
      • Dominique Michel
      • Dorothée Berryman
      • Louise Portal
    • 40User reviews
    • 32Critic reviews
    • 60Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 1 Oscar
      • 13 wins & 8 nominations total

    Videos2

    Bande-Annonce [VO]
    Trailer 2:17
    Watch Bande-Annonce [VO]
    Streaming Passport to Canada
    Clip 6:08
    Watch Streaming Passport to Canada

    Photos65

    The Decline of the American Empire (1986)
    The Decline of the American Empire (1986)
    The Decline of the American Empire (1986)
    The Decline of the American Empire (1986)
    The Decline of the American Empire (1986)
    The Decline of the American Empire (1986)
    Pierre Curzi and Rémy Girard in The Decline of the American Empire (1986)
    Daniel Brière and Dominique Michel in The Decline of the American Empire (1986)
    Gabriel Arcand and Louise Portal in The Decline of the American Empire (1986)
    Dorothée Berryman and Yves Jacques in The Decline of the American Empire (1986)
    Pierre Curzi and Geneviève Rioux in The Decline of the American Empire (1986)
    Yves Jacques in The Decline of the American Empire (1986)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Dominique Michel
    Dominique Michel
    • Dominique St. Arnaud
    Dorothée Berryman
    Dorothée Berryman
    • Louise
    Louise Portal
    Louise Portal
    • Diane Leonard
    Pierre Curzi
    Pierre Curzi
    • Pierre
    Rémy Girard
    Rémy Girard
    • Rémy
    Yves Jacques
    Yves Jacques
    • Claude
    Geneviève Rioux
    Geneviève Rioux
    • Danielle
    Daniel Brière
    Daniel Brière
    • Alain
    Gabriel Arcand
    Gabriel Arcand
    • Mario
    Évelyn Regimbald
    Évelyn Regimbald
    • Theresa
    Lisette Guertin
    Lisette Guertin
    Alexandre Remy
    • Transvestite
    Ariane Frédérique
    Jean-Paul Bongo
    • Mustafa
    • Director
      • Denys Arcand
    • Writers
      • Denys Arcand
      • Gabriel Arcand
      • Mark Blandford
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • 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.
    • Quotes

      Mario: They talked about sex all afternoon as if they were getting ready for an orgy. Instead, the big deal is a fish pie!

    • Connections
      Edited into 50 ans (1989)
    • Soundtracks
      Music themes
      by George Frideric Handel.

    User reviews40

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    8/10
    Man's propensity for self deception is unquenchable
    This is a very well done French-Canadian film about eight friends meeting for a dinner party out in the country. Three middle-aged men and a one young man are already at the manor where the dinner will take place, preparing the meal and discussing their sex lives. The remaining party guests, three middle-aged women and one young woman, are spending the day at the gym, exercising and discussing their sex lives.

    Eventually they meet up at the country manor for dinner, and the conversation continues. While this may sound like not much happens, the film is never boring, and the direction by Denys Arcand keeps the viewer visually interested. I'm also keeping the character descriptions purposely vague, as their relationships to one another are revealed slowly as the film progresses. The dialogue is frank, funny and sharp, and all eight characters are fully-drawn human beings. I especially like the notion that these eight characters who seem to speak non-stop and at times overshare in the extreme, can't seem to honestly communicate when it matters most in their lives.

    The title refers to a historical adage that when members of a given society begin to think about their own individual happiness above every other concern, that society is doomed. The characters' romantic navel-gazing and at times destructive pursuit of happiness seems to signal our own societal sunset. But don't let that heavy thought steer you away from the film, as it's brilliantly acted and well worth a look.

    The sequel, "The Barbarian Invasions", made 17 years later, is also very worthwhile.
    helpful•10
    3
    • AlsExGal
    • Jun 15, 2017

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • November 14, 1986 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • Canada
    • Languages
      • French
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Der Untergang des amerikanischen Imperiums
    • Filming locations
      • Centre de Conditionnement Physique Nautilus, Montréal, Québec, Canada
    • Production companies
      • Corporation Image M & M
      • Malofilm
      • National Film Board of Canada (NFB)
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

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    • Budget
      • CA$1,800,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $1,902,706
    • Gross worldwide
      • $1,915,792
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • Runtime
      1 hour 41 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.78 : 1

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