The Decline of the American Empire

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The Decline of the American Empire

French-language film poster
Directed by Denys Arcand
Written by Denys Arcand
Starring Dominique Michel
Dorothée Berryman
Release date(s) June 19, 1986 (Canada)
November, 1986 (USA)
Running time 101 min.
Language French
Followed by The Barbarian Invasions
IMDb profile

The Decline of the American Empire (French Le Déclin de l'empire américain) is a 1986 Canadian comedy/drama film directed by Denys Arcand. It was followed by a sequel, The Barbarian Invasions in 2003.

Contents

[edit] Synopsis

Eight intellectual friends - four men and four women from the Department of History at the Université de Montréal - prepare to have dinner together. The ensuing conversations range from their professional lives to politics, but primarily concern their sexual exploits. The group has plans to gather at a secluded house for dinner. While the four men prepare the food and reflect on their promiscuity, the four women discuss their own affairs at a nearby gym. At the dinner table, conflicts soon arise when Dominique reveals that she herself has had affairs with two of the men there, one of whom is married to Louise (also present).

[edit] Awards

The film won 9 Genie Awards in 1987, including Best Motion Picture, Best Achievement in Direction, Best Original Screenplay, Best Achievement in Film Editing, and the Golden Reel Award.

In 2004, the film was honoured as a MasterWork by the Audio-Visual Preservation Trust of Canada.[1]

[edit] Cast

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

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Genie Award Winners for Best Motion Picture

The Changeling (1980) • Les Bons débarras (1981) • Ticket to Heaven (1982) • The Grey Fox (1983) • The Terry Fox Story (1984) • The Bay Boy (1985) • My American Cousin (1986) • Le Déclin de l'empire américain (1987) • Un Zoo la nuit (1988) • Dead Ringers (1989) • Jésus de Montréal (1990) • Black Robe (1991) • Naked Lunch (1992) • Thirty Two Short Films About Glenn Gould (1993) • Exotica (1994) • The Confessional (1995) • Lilies (1996) • The Sweet Hereafter (1997) • The Red Violin (1998) • Sunshine (1999) • Maelström (2000) • Atanarjuat (2001) • Ararat (2002) • Les Invasions barbares (2003) • Les Triplettes de Belleville (2004) • C.R.A.Z.Y. (2005) • Bon Cop, Bad Cop (2006) • Away from Her (2007)