The Fall of the American Empire

The Fall of the American Empire
Film poster
Directed by Denys Arcand
Produced by Denise Robert
Written by Denys Arcand
Starring Maxim Roy
Yan England
Rémy Girard
Anoulith Sintharaphone
Maripier Morin
Patrick Emmanuel Abellard
Cinematography Van Royko
Edited by Arthur Tarnowski
Release date
  • 28 June 2018 (2018-06-28) (Quebec[1])
Country Canada
Language French

The Fall of the American Empire (French: La chute de l'empire américain) is a 2018 Quebec crime thriller[2] film written and directed by Denys Arcand and starring Alexandre Landry, Maxim Roy, Yan England and Rémy Girard. It is about a man (Landry) who, after an armed robbery in Montreal, discovers two bags of money and is unsure what to do with them. Based on a 2010 Old Montreal shooting, it is thematically related, but not a direct sequel, to Arcand's 1986 The Decline of the American Empire and 2003 The Barbarian Invasions.[3]

The film was released in Quebec on 28 June. It subsequently screened at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival.

Production

Development

Arcand based the story on an incident in 2010, when two people were killed in an Old Montreal boutique.[4] The incident took place in a clothing store called Flawnego and was suspected as gang-related; Kyle Gabriel, Terrell Lloyd Smith and Carey Isaac Regis were convicted of murder in 2014.[5]

Arcand stated, "I started fantasizing about what happened, why it happened like that, so I started an investigation", researching and compiling articles about the incident in numerous newspapers and magazines.[2] Hypothesizing money is contemporary society's only remaining value, he said, "Then I began thinking about what would happen if a guy found himself with two bags full of money. What could he do with that? What would it mean for him in terms of his place in society?"[6] He also visited cafeterias in the Bordeaux Prison and the Old Brewery Mission homeless centre to research how to depict a scene where food is served.[7]

Casting

Alexandre Landry and Maripier Morin were cast in the film.

Television host Maripier Morin was cast in the film after three auditions; this was her first film role and she said she was uncertain if Arcand's invitation to appear in the film was serious.[8] Alexandre Landry took the lead role of the McGill University philosophy student who discovers the money, saying he found it "interesting to figure out what the relationship with money in society is".[2]

Eddy King took the role of a gang member, because he said the film would not rely on the stereotype of how gangs are depicted.[9] 19-2 star Maxim Roy joined the cast and performed her own stunts.[10]

Filming

The filming schedule was set to start on 5 September and was completed on 8 November 2017.[2][7] Principal photography took place in Montreal.[6]

Post-production

While the working title was The Triumph of Money (French: Le Triomphe de l'argent), Arcand announced in March that the film would be retitled The Fall of the American Empire to better reflect how the story developed.[4] The new title was reminiscent of his 1986 The Decline of the American Empire.[11]

Arcand said a theme would be how corruption can spread from the United States to Canada, which he said relies on "Pax Americana", a theme explored in The Decline of the American Empire and The Barbarian Invasions (2003).[1][12] In his view, the U.S. had long been suffering and Quebec was affected.[13] He analogized the current situation with the presidency of Donald Trump to the rule of Roman Emperor Caligula, which could be followed by a Nero figure "and three centuries of inexorable decay".[1]

Release

On 8 March 2018, Seville International previewed The Fall of American Empire with a series of videos, revealing Pierre Curzi would be in the cast.[1][11] The release was scheduled for 28 June 2018.[4] Arcand also sought to enter the film into the 2018 Cannes Film Festival;[14] Arcand had experience with Cannes.[15] Despite the 28 June release, Les Films Séville and producer Denise Robert announced there would be no release with English subtitles until fall 2018.[16] The Fall of the American Empire was one of 19 Canadian films selected for screening at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival, while Sony Classics purchased the U.S. distribution rights.[17]

Reception

In La Presse, Marc-André Lussier awarded the film three and a half stars, calling it Arcand's best work since The Barbarian Invasions.[18] For Le Journal de Montreal, Isabelle Hontebeyrie assessed the film as jubilant and "pure Arcand", giving it four stars.[19] The Huffington Post's Jean-François Vandeuren criticized the film, comparing it unfavourably to Arcand's previous two works Days of Darkness and An Eye for Beauty, in not fully developing its characters and missing opportunities in the story.[20]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Une première bande-annonce pour La chute de l'empire américain de Denys Arcand". Radio-Canada. 8 March 2018. Retrieved 8 April 2018.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Denys Arcand unveils upcoming new movie Le triomphe de l'argent". CBC News. 25 July 2017. Retrieved 8 April 2018.
  3. ↑ "Denys Arcand’s morality tale a gut check for Quebec, and us all". The Globe and Mail, July 7, 2018.
  4. 1 2 3 The Canadian Press (8 March 2018). "Denys Arcand changes name of new film that is set to come out June 28". The Chronicle Herald. Retrieved 8 April 2018.
  5. ↑ "Jury finds 3 men guilty of 2010 double murder in Old Montreal". CBC News. 2 May 2014. Retrieved 8 April 2018.
  6. 1 2 Kelly, Brendan (25 July 2017). "New Denys Arcand film a crime thriller about our obsession with money". The Montreal Gazette. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
  7. 1 2 Brulotte, Rodger (9 November 2017). "Triomphe de l'argent: réalisé par Denys Arcand et produit par Denise Robert". Le Journal de Montreal. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
  8. ↑ Demers, Maxime (2 May 2014). "«Le cinéma est une vraie passion pour moi» -Maripier Morin". Le Journal de Montreal. Retrieved 8 April 2018.
  9. ↑ Bain, Valérie-Micaela (25 July 2017). "Alexandre Landry et Louis Morissette dans le prochain film de Denys Arcand". Radio-Canada. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
  10. ↑ "Maxim Roy Sera Dans Le Prochain Denys Arcand". Radio-Canada. 26 July 2017. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
  11. 1 2 Vincent, Sandrine (8 March 2018). "Une bande-annonce pour La chute de l'empire américain, de Denys Arcand, mettant en vedette Maripier Morin". Le Journal de Montreal. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
  12. ↑ Lods, Jeanne (25 July 2017). "Denys Arcand Dévoile Une Première Bande-Annonce De La Chute De L'empire Américain". Voir. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
  13. ↑ Lapointe, Josée (8 March 2018). "Denys Arcand renomme son film La chute de l'empire américain". La Presse. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
  14. ↑ Tremblay, Odile (27 March 2018). "Xavier Dolan, privé de Cannes?". Le Devoir. Retrieved 8 April 2018.
  15. ↑ Lussier, Marc-André (17 March 2018). "Premières rumeurs cannoises". La Presse. Retrieved 8 April 2018.
  16. ↑ Kelly, Brendan (20 June 2018). "Kelly: Quebecers have to wait for English version of new Arcand film". The Montreal Gazette. Retrieved 1 July 2018.
  17. ↑ McNary, Dave (1 August 2018). "Toronto Film Festival Adds 'Fall of the American Empire' to Canadian Lineup". Variety. Retrieved 12 August 2018.
  18. ↑ Lussier, Marc-André (29 June 2018). "La chute de l'empire américain: du Arcand pur jus! ***1/2". La Presse. Retrieved 1 July 2018.
  19. ↑ Hontebeyrie, Isabelle (20 June 2018). "La chute de l'empire américain: un film jubilatoire". Le Journal de Montreal. Retrieved 1 July 2018.
  20. ↑ Vandeuren, Jean-François (19 June 2018). "«La chute de l'empire américain», les contradictions de Denys Arcand". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 1 July 2018.
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