Déclin de l'empire américain (Le)

Genre: psychological drama
Director: Denys Arcand
Release: 1986
Studio: Corp. Image M&M, NFB, Malofilm - Cineplex Odeon
Rating: R
MBiS score: 7.7/10


A Game With Rules But Without Limits


Since its release in 1986, LE DÉCLIN DE L’EMPIRE AMÉRICAIN has become an object of devotion in Québec and still ranks as one of the most reasoned and accomplished films ever made in la belle Province. Its narrative begins on a beautiful afternoon in Montreal, where four women are working out in a health spa before joining their men for a relaxed weekend away from the city. The men, meanwhile, have already reached the country cottage where they will all meet later on and are cooking up a few fancy dishes for the group. On both sides, the mood is admittedly jovial and, although most of our characters are university teachers or are well versed in academic life, nobody is really interested in talking shop. Sex, in all of its physical and philosophical variations, is the main topic of the day. With Rémy Girard (Rémy), Pierre Curzi (Pierre), Yves Jacques (Claude), Daniel Brière (Alain), Dominique Michel (Dominique), Dorothée Berryman (Louise), Louise Portal (Diane), Geneviève Rioux (Danielle) and Gabriel Arcand (Mario).

Overall, the DÉCLIN reminded me of THE BIG CHILL and certain Woody Allen films, albeit with much darker and cynical undertones. It revolves around sexual issues as discussed by a group of self-absorbed intellectuals who like to chat and brag about nookie almost as much as they love hitting the sack. Remember the 80s? Those fitness fads that gradually replaced the discos? The sexual revolution in full bloom despite the nascent threat of AIDS? This is what the DÉCLIN is all about and, from a sociological point of view, its depiction of loose conduct and fertile minds is as unflinching as it is precise. Rémy and his warped cohorts care little about love, a useless by-product in their view. They’d rather revel in hypocrisy and navel-gazing, unconcerned by the generational conflicts that lie somewhere ahead.

Such a radical point of view may shock certain people and, for sure, your enjoyment of this film will hinge on your sympathy or dislike for the characters Arcand has chosen to show us. But why did he do it? As he himself explained to the New York Times, ''This is life as I live it, as people around me live it. It's not a definitive general statement about all of humanity, but it is a valid view of eight characters during one weekend. This is how these people are. I know them; I'm part of them.'' So give the man high marks for audacity: he dared to raise a few questions that many film people would have avoided like the plague and the DÉCLIN assuredly contains some thought-provoking insights.

On a purely cinematic level, Arcand did wonders with the limited means at his disposal and his gang of actors served him very well indeed – especially Rémy Girard, Yves Jacques and Dorothée Berryman – but I won’t pretend that the movie is perfection itself. It feels a bit long, heavy and, quite frankly, dull; in fact, the moment I was waiting for, the true spark that jolted me, came only 25 minutes before the final credits. A few needless jokes could have been edited out. Logically speaking, one scene involving Claude was totally misplaced (right after a horrible incident, we see him laughing heartily with his friends) but this problem would easily be solved with a simple cut-and-paste job.

So there you have it. Should you see this movie or should you stay away? It really depends on your commitment to cinema. Seventeen years after the DÉCLIN, Arcand followed up on his characters in LES INVASIONS BARBARES, a gem of a film that garnered an Oscar and allowed us to see the real humanity behind our group of vainglorious snobs. Without the former, you will never appreciate the latter as much as it deserves… so I guess you should view both. Things are never easy with Arcand… and that’s part of his appeal.


MBiS

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