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The Decline of the American Empire ()

Le déclin de l'empire américain (original title)
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Sexual revelations emerge when a group of academics and their partners spend a weekend at a country retreat.
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Awards:
  • Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 13 wins & 7 nominations.
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Photos and Videos

55 photos | 2 videos

Cast verified as complete

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Dominique St. Arnaud
...
Louise
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Diane Leonard
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Pierre
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Rémy
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Claude
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Danielle
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Alain
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Mario
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Theresa
Alexandre Remy ...
Transvestite
Ariane Frédérique
Jean-Paul Bongo ...
Mustafa

Directed by

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Denys Arcand

Written by

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Denys Arcand ... ()
 
Gabriel Arcand ... (collaborating writer)
 
Mark Blandford ... (collaborating writer)
 
Jean-Claude Lauzon ... (collaborating writer)
 
Monique Proulx ... (collaborating writer)
 
Yvon Rivard ... (collaborating writer)
 
Catherine Ruelle ... (collaborating writer)
 
Louise Vandelac ... (collaborating writer)

Produced by

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

Music by

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François Dompierre ... (music)

Cinematography by

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Guy Dufaux

Editing by

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Monique Fortier

Editorial Department

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Diane Boucher ... assistant editor
Suzanne Dussault ... post-production assistant
Marc Lussier ... colorist dailies

Production Design by

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Gaudeline Sauriol

Art Direction by

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Gaudeline Sauriol

Costume Design by

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Denis Sperdouklis

Makeup Department

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Gaétan Noiseux ... hair stylist
Cécile Rigault ... assistant makeup artist
Micheline Trépanier ... makeup artist

Production Management

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Suzanne Dussault ... post-production manager
Lyse Lafontaine ... production manager
Estelle Lemieux ... unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director

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Jacques W. Benoit ... assistant director
Monique Maranda ... second assistant director

Art Department

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Charles Bernier ... set props
Louis Gascon ... assistant props
Claude Lafond ... carpenter
Alain Singher ... set props

Sound Department

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Yvon Benoît ... boom operator
Huguette Bergeron ... assistant to Denys Arcand
Richard Besse ... sound
Diane Boucher ... dialogue editor
Adrian Croll ... re-recording mixer
Paul Dion ... sound editor
Carole Gagnon ... assistant sound editor
Marie-Claude Gagné ... assistant sound editor
Louis Hone ... foley mixer
Jean-Pierre Joutel ... re-recording mixer
Andy Malcolm ... foley artist
Conrad Perrault ... lab manager (as Conrad Perreault)
Lise Wedlock ... foley assistant

Special Effects by

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Louis Craig ... special effects supervisor

Camera and Electrical Department

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Yvon Boudrias ... key grip
Bertrand Carrière ... still photographer
Sylvaine Dufaux ... second assistant camera
Claude Fortier ... electrician
Jean-Pierre Lamarche ... grip
Jacques Leduc ... cinematographer: nature scenes
Roger Martin ... gaffer
Nathalie Moliavko-Visotzky ... first assistant camera / focus puller
Normand Viau ... electrician

Costume and Wardrobe Department

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Mario Davignon ... key dresser
Brunhilde Pradier ... wardrobe seamstress

Location Management

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Ken Korrall ... location manager

Music Department

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Edith Boivin Beluse ... musician: piano and electronic keyboard
Paul Pagé ... music recordist
Lorraine Prieur ... musician: piano and electronic keyboard

Script and Continuity Department

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Johanne Prégent ... script supervisor

Additional Crew

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Sylvain Arseneault ... production assistant (as Sylvain Arsenault)
Bruno Bazin ... production assistant
Micheline Bonin ... production accountant
Serge Bouthillier ... title designer
Louise Cousineau ... assistant production administrator
Edouard Davidovici ... technical co-ordinator
François Fauteux ... production assistant
Jean-Pierre Fauteux ... production assistant
Serge Gaspard Gaudreau ... assistant title designer (as Serge Gaudreau)
Jean Guérin ... production coordinator
Jean-Pierre Joly ... assistant title designer
Frédéric Lefebvre ... production assistant
Monique Létourneau ... production administrator
Louise Overy ... assistant title designer
Johanne Pelletier ... production secretary
Val Teodori ... assistant title designer

Thanks

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René Lamarche ... thanks

Production Companies

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Distributors

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Special Effects

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Other Companies

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Storyline

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Plot Summary

A group of academics at the University of Montreal--most long time friends--plan to gather at the lakeside recreational home of Rémy and Louise, who have been together for 20 years, married for 15 of them, for dinner. Louise knows Rémy cheats on her, but believes he only does so when she is not around, which she accepts. Their recreational home is adjacent to many of the recreational homes of the others, who are: divorced Pierre and his much younger current girlfriend Danielle who is a student at the university; divorced mother Diane; independent-minded Dominque; 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 intellectual backgrounds, which shapes the nature of the discussions. When the two groups finally converge for dinner, a ninth person is added peripherally, brusque working-class Mario, Diane's current sexual partner. This relationship is a first for Diane in that not only their sexual encounters but the way they interact with each other in general is predicated on S and M, dictated largely by Diane, the submissive. What happens with the group as dinner goes into evening and evening goes into morning is further shaped by them listening to a prerecorded interview Dominique did for CBC Radio earlier in the day to promote her new book, which discusses how the quest for individual happiness in modern western society is leading to the decline of the society in general. Written by Huggo

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Additional Details

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Also Known As
  • The Decline of the American Empire (Canada, French title)
  • The Decline of the American Empire (Canada, English title)
  • The Decline of the American Empire (United States)
  • The Decline of the American Empire (World-wide, English title)
  • The Decline of the American Empire (United Kingdom)
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Runtime
  • 101 min
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Box Office

Budget CAD1,800,000 (estimated)

Did You Know?

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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. See more »
Movie Connections Edited into 50 ans (1989). See more »
Soundtracks Music themes See more »
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!
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