The Decline of the American Empire
Le Déclin de l'empire américain
“A spontaneously funny sex comedy!”
Synopsis
Four very different Montreal university teachers gather at a rambling country house to prepare a dinner. Remy (married), Claude (a homosexual), Pierre (involved with a girlfriend) and Alain (a bachelor) discuss sex, the female body and their affairs with them. Meanwhile, their four female guests, Louise (Remy's wife of 15 years), Dominique (a spinster), Diane (a divorcée) and Danielle (Pierre's girlfriend) are spending the time at a downtown health gym. They also discuss sex, the female body and, naturally, men. Later in the evening, they finally meet at the country house and have dinner. A ninth guest, named Mario, who used to know Diane, drops in on the group for some talk and has a surprise of his own.
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Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
The Decline of the American Empire (1986) trailer
Type: Trailer • Published 2008-07-03
Top Cast
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Dominique Michel
Dominique
Dorothée Berryman
Louise
Louise Portal
Diane
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
Jean-Michel Dufaux
Patineur (uncredited)
Release History & Theatrical Window
Cannes Film Festival
Festival / Special Debut
June 19, 1986
Wide Cinema Exhibition
February 23, 2004
Physical Home Media
Financials & Box Office Performance
Production Budget
$1.8M
Filming & production cost
Worldwide Gross
$30M
Total global ticket sales
Box Office Return
16.67x
+$28.2M net gain
Theatrical Status
Mega Hit
Box office tier
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Denys Arcand
- Screenplay & Story
- Denys Arcand
- Original Score
- François Dompierre
- Original Title
- Le Déclin de l'empire américain
- Country of Origin
- Canada
- Spoken Languages
- English, French
- Runtime
- 1h 41m
- Production Budget
- $1.8M
- Worldwide Gross
- $30M
- Production Studios
- Corporation Image M & M, Societe Radio Cinema, ONF | NFB, Malofilm, La Societe Generale du Cinema du Quebec, Téléfilm Canada, Société Radio-Canada
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Denys Arcand
Denys Arcand, Gabriel Arcand, Jean-Claude Lauzon, Catherine Ruelle, Yvon Rivard, Louise Vandelac, Mark Blandford, Monique Proulx
François Dompierre
Guy Dufaux
Monique Fortier
Roger Frappier, René Malo
Department Leadership Roster
Denys Arcand
Director
Denys Arcand
Screenplay
François Dompierre
Original Music Composer
Gaudeline Sauriol
Production Design
Gabriel Arcand
Writer
Denis Sperdouklis
Costume Design
Monique Fortier
Editor
Jean-Claude Lauzon
Writer
Catherine Ruelle
Writer
Roger Frappier
Producer
René Malo
Producer
Yvon Rivard
Writer
Guy Dufaux
Director of Photography
Louise Vandelac
Writer
Mark Blandford
Writer
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
International Certification Matrix
FSK 18 — Restricted to adults 18 and older.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for The Decline of the American Empire.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring The Decline of the American Empire.
多伦多电影节人民选择奖
Toronto Film Festival Audience Award 多伦多国际电影节历届人民选择奖（观众票选最高奖）。 *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-19 07:39:27 UTC+8)*
1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die
1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die (All editions 2003-2024). A cumulative list including films subsequently removed in later editions. Totaling 1,260 films as of Nov 2024. 《1001部死前必看的电影》（2003-2024 全版本累积版）： 包含自2003年首版至2024年11月德语版修订的所有影片。即使在后期版本中被剔除的电影也予以保留。 *注：榜单源数据中包含部分剧集/迷你剧，由于本片单只收录纯电影，故不再收录以下非电影条目：* • [#019] Lovers Rock (2020) • [#418] Dekalog (1989) *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-19 07:37:48 UTC+8)*
North American Cinema
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LGBTQ+
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Frequently Asked Questions About The Decline of the American Empire
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is The Decline of the American Empire about?
Four very different Montreal university teachers gather at a rambling country house to prepare a dinner. Remy (married), Claude (a homosexual), Pierre (involved with a girlfriend) and Alain (a bachelor) discuss sex, the female body and their affairs with them. Meanwhile, their four female guests, Louise (Remy's wife of 15 years), Dominique (a spinster), Diane (a divorcée) and Danielle (Pierre's girlfriend) are spending the time at a downtown health gym. They also discuss sex, the female body and, naturally, men. Later in the evening, they finally meet at the country house and have dinner. A ninth guest, named Mario, who used to know Diane, drops in on the group for some talk and has a surprise of his own.
Who directed The Decline of the American Empire?
The Decline of the American Empire was directed by Denys Arcand.
Who stars in The Decline of the American Empire?
The principal cast of The Decline of the American Empire includes Dominique Michel, Dorothée Berryman, Louise Portal, Pierre Curzi, Rémy Girard.
When was The Decline of the American Empire released and how long is it?
The Decline of the American Empire was released in 1986 with a total runtime of 1h 41m.
What was the box office and production budget of The Decline of the American Empire?
The Decline of the American Empire had a reported production budget of $1.8M and grossed $30M at the worldwide box office (16.67 return on budget, classified as a blockbuster success).
Who composed the musical score for The Decline of the American Empire?
The original motion picture soundtrack for The Decline of the American Empire was composed by François Dompierre.
What is the age rating and content advisory for The Decline of the American Empire?
The Decline of the American Empire holds official age classifications: DE: 18 (FSK 18 — Restricted to adults 18 and older.).