The Decline of the American Empire (1986)

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 (collaborating writer)

Stars:

Dominique Michel, Dorothée Berryman, Louise Portal

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 13 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited 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	...	Transvestite
Ariane Frédérique
Jean-Paul Bongo	...	Mustafa

Storyline

A group of academics at the University of Montreal - most long time friends - are planning on gathering at the lakeside recreational home of Rémy and Louise, who have been together for twenty years, married for fifteen of them, for dinner. Louise knows Rémy cheats on her, but believes he only does so when she is not around, about which she accepts. Their recreational home is adjacent to many of the recreational homes of the others, who are: divorced Pierre, his much younger current girlfriend Danielle who is a student at the university, the two who are still in the stage of newfound love, divorced mother Diane, independent minded Dominique, single homosexual Claude, and graduate student Alain. While the four men prepare the dinner, the four women are working out together in the gym. The common factor between the two groups is the topic of conversation: sex, especially as it relates to themselves. But underlying each of the conversations is their own academic and thus intellectual ...

---

Plot Keywords:

sex comedy | homosexual | male frontal nudity | male full frontal nudity | pubic hair | 

---

Genres:

Comedy | Drama

---

Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

French visa # 64263 delivered on 5-2-1987.

---

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

Featured in Weird Sex and Snowshoes: A Trek Through the Canadian Cinematic Psyche (2004)

---

Soundtracks

Music themes
by George Frideric Handel.

User Reviews

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.

Details

Country:

Canada

Language:

French English

Release Date:

14 November 1986 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Decline of the American Empire

Filming Locations:

Centre de Conditionnement Physique Nautilus, Montréal, Québec, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

CAD1,800,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$1,902,706

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$1,915,792

Company Credits

Production Co:

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

Technical Specs

Runtime:

101 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1