Our leaders’ insistence on siphoning off 66% of U.S. federal discretionary spending to preserve and expand a war machine that has long outlived any useful role in America’s declining economic empire is a debilitating waste of resources that jeopardizes our future. Lafontaine does not trust Bigras and believes he will take the money; she and Pierre-Paul find the storage locker empty, and La Bauve and McDuff arrive. Image: Calvin Shen. Pierre-Paul approaches Bigras as soon as he is released, asking him to serve as a financial analyst. [2][7] Principal photography took place in Montreal. [4] The new title was reminiscent of his 1986 The Decline of the American Empire. Americans were not always so ignorant of the imperial nature of their country’s ambitions. As our government debates whether we can “afford” COVID relief, a Green New Deal and universal healthcare, we would be wise to recognize that our only hope of transforming this decadent, declining empire into a dynamic and prosperous post-imperial nation is to rapidly and profoundly shift our national priorities from irrelevant, destructive militarism to the programs of social uplift that Dr. King called for. But that imperial expansion was more controversial than most Americans realize. Bigras asks Pierre-Paul for papers on his finances, but Pierre-Paul confesses he has only bags of cash. "The Fall of the American Empire" is an unbearably preachy post-financial-crisis civics lesson in heist movie drag. It would not be one in which tiny numbers of the staggeringly wealthy made hundreds of billions more dollars and the country’s military-industrial complex thrived in a pandemic, while so many others went down in disaster. The Fall Of The American Empire (11) IMDb 6.8 2 h 7 min 2018 R A deliveryman gets caught up in a mob robbery gone wrong and becomes a modern-day Robin Hood. [9] 19-2 star Maxim Roy joined the cast and performed her own stunts. The gang searches for its money, torturing gang member Jacmel for information. In his book, Neo-Colonialism: the Last Stage of Imperialism, Nkrumah condemned neocolonialism as “the worst form of imperialism.” “For those who practice it,” he wrote, “it means power without responsibility, and for those who suffer from it, it means exploitation without redress.”. In the summer of 2010, military tensions between the US and China … Instead of opening doors for American big business or supporting America’s diplomatic position in the world, the U.S. war machine has become a bull in the global china shop, wielding purely destructive power to destabilize countries and wreck their economies, closing doors to economic opportunity instead of opening them, diverting resources from real needs at home, and damaging America’s international standing instead of enhancing it. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Bigras deduces the money was stolen from the West End Gang, which was keeping its funds in a store owned by banker Vladimir François. Changing the nation's priorities is the only answer This empire will fall sooner or later. 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]. Four years after that, in a pandemicized land, its economy a wreck, its military power deeply frustrated, its people divided, angry, and increasingly well-armed, that sense of failing (already felt so strongly in the American heartland that welcomed The Donald in … Charged with alternating currents of droll wit, sardonic cynicism, and socialist-tinged idealism, writer-director Denys Arcand’s “The Fall of the American Empire” is . Arcand based the story on an incident in 2010, when two people were killed in an Old Montreal boutique. [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. George Washington described New York as “the seat of an empire,” and his military campaign against British forces there as the “pathway to empire.” New Yorkers eagerly embraced their state’s identity as the Empire State, which is still enshrined in the Empire State Building and on New York State license plates. [6], 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. The film was released in Quebec on 28 June. By Medea Benjamin, Nicolas J.S. "[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. [18] On Metacritic the film has a weighted average score of 55% based on reviews from 17 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Taschereau and Bigras arrange the creation of a faux children's charity as a means to launder the money to Switzerland. In the full flowering of the American empire after the Second World War, its leaders understood the skill and subtlety required to exercise imperial power in a post-colonial world. Even as America leads the world in allowing a pandemic to ravage its people and economy, neither party’s leaders are ready for a more realistic debate over how to redefine and rebuild America as a post-imperial nation in today’s multipolar world. 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 Invasio… He dismissed Susskind’s assumption that public policy must be rooted in "the reality-based community." Iraq(x1)/Afghanistan(x2). What would a United States whose people have enough look like? Yet Americans shy away from the long-term commitments of manpower and money that are indispensable if rogue regimes and failed states really are to be changed for the better. America’s militarism has accelerated these trends by squandering our resources on weapons and wars, while China and the EU have invested in peaceful economic development and 21st century infrastructure. But that imperial expansion was more controversial than most Americans realize. Bigras advises Pierre-Paul not to see Lafontaine anymore, but Pierre-Paul responds he has an "alibi" that Lafontaine is a friend. Required fields are marked *. The Decline and Fall of the American Empire The U.S. war machine has become a bull in the global china shop, wielding purely destructive power to destabilize countries and wreck their economies. But now U.S. militarism and America’s economic interests have diverged. World War III: Present Situation. America still has the weakest social safety net of any developed country and no universal healthcare system, and the inequalities of wealth and power caused by extreme neoliberalism have left half of Americans with little or no savings to live on in retirement or to weather any disruption in their lives. He rushes to grab the bags and place them in his delivery truck when the police arrive. It was left to critics like President Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana to seriously examine the imperial control that wealthy countries still exercised over nominally independent post-colonial countries like his. [7], 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. Every successful empire has expanded, ruled and exploited its far-flung territories through a combination of economic and military power. An ambitious blend of comedy, thriller, and social commentary, The Fall of the American Empire lightens its heavy message with refreshing intelligence and wit. To the contrary, relief from the burden of Empire control and maintenance when it outstrips the gains from unequal exchange, and expansion increases rather than decreases the deficit, could lead to a blossoming of the US Republic. [17], On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 59% based on 37 reviews, with an average rating of 6.71/10. [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. Paul Ratner You can’t sell our articles for a fee but you may place them alongside ads. Global Power.” But I want to ask you about a much earlier book that you wrote, “The Politics of Heroin: CIA Complicity in the Global Drug Trade.” And that details your investigation — and it really was what introduced you to this world of covert CIA operati… The Fall of the American Empire (French: La chute de l'empire américain) is a 2018 Canadian crime thriller film written and directed by Denys Arcand and starring Alexandre Landry, Maxim Roy, Yan England and Rémy Girard. Apart from a few military contractors, American businesses have not followed the flag into the ruins of Iraq or America’s other current war-zones in any lasting way. Back in the imperial heartland, the political marketing industry that Rove and his colleagues were part of has had more success dividing and ruling the hearts and minds of Americans than of Iraqis, Russians or Chinese. By Tom Engelhardt Published December 6, 2020 10:00AM (UTC) The hypothesis is not that the fall and decline of the US Empire implies a fall and decline of the US Republic (continental USA). The history of the decline and fall of the American empire What it means to fall on a failing planet . (The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not reflect the views of Citizen Truth.). For example, China has built the largest high-speed rail network in the world in just 10 years (2008-2018), and Europe has been building and expanding its high-speed network since the 1990s, but high-speed rail is still only on the drawing board in America. By. [24], "Une première bande-annonce pour La chute de l'empire américain de Denys Arcand", "Denys Arcand unveils upcoming new movie Le triomphe de l'argent", "Denys Arcand’s morality tale a gut check for Quebec, and us all", "Denys Arcand changes name of new film that is set to come out June 28", "Jury finds 3 men guilty of 2010 double murder in Old Montreal", "New Denys Arcand film a crime thriller about our obsession with money", "Triomphe de l'argent: réalisé par Denys Arcand et produit par Denise Robert", "Alexandre Landry et Louis Morissette dans le prochain film de Denys Arcand", "Maxim Roy Sera Dans Le Prochain Denys Arcand", "Une bande-annonce pour La chute de l'empire américain, de Denys Arcand, mettant en vedette Maripier Morin", "Denys Arcand Dévoile Une Première Bande-Annonce De La Chute De L'empire Américain", "Denys Arcand renomme son film La chute de l'empire américain", "Kelly: Quebecers have to wait for English version of new Arcand film", "Toronto Film Festival Adds 'Fall of the American Empire' to Canadian Lineup", "The Fall of the American Empire (La chute de l'empire américain)", https://www.metacritic.com/movie/the-fall-of-the-american-empire, "La chute de l'empire américain: du Arcand pur jus! It subsequently screened at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival and at the Valladolid International Film Festival, where it won the FIPRESCI Prize. Sixteen years later, the American wars and war crimes launched by the Bush administration have only spread chaos and violence far and wide, and this historic conjunction of criminality and failure has predictably undermined America’s international power and authority. When Lafontaine leaves Pierre-Paul's apartment she runs into police officers Pete La Bauve and Carla McDuff, who are arriving to question Pierre-Paul; the officers recognize her as a high-profile prostitute and question Pierre-Paul about it, noting he could not afford her services. All Citizen Truth original articles are licensed under a Creative Commons license provided you credit Citizen Truth and provide an active backlink. Visit the post for more. They later arrest Taschereau for soliciting a minor. The decline and fall of the American Empire. 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. The Fall of the American Empire. In 2007, his film Days of Darkness was the Official Selection at the Cannes Film Festival for Closing Night, a very special evening as it was the 60th birthday of the festival. The transfers take place as the friends distribute the cash to Taschereau's clients, whose money overseas is in turn transferred to Pierre-Paul. So post-World War Two Americans grew up in carefully crafted ignorance of the very fact of American empire, and the myths woven to disguise it provide fertile soil for today’s political divisions and disintegration. Denys Arcand’s new movie The Fall of the American Empire, is also supposed to be a sequel, but I couldn’t find the link (beyond the title) with the director’s acclaimed 1986 movie The Decline of the American Empire.. Cold War on China, Credit the author and Citizen Truth in the byline. America’s defeat in Afghanistan is one in a string of catastrophic military blunders that herald the death of the American empire. What could he do with that? Trump’s “Make America Great Again” and Biden’s promise to “restore American leadership” are both appeals to nostalgia for the fruits of American empire. [23], The Fall of the American Empire won the FIPRESCI Prize at the 63rd Valladolid International Film Festival in October 2018. [19], In La Presse, Marc-André Lussier awarded the film three and a half stars, calling it Arcand's best work since The Barbarian Invasions. Did you enjoy what you just read? [10], The filming schedule was set to start on 5 September and was completed on 8 November 2017. Past blame games over who lost China or Vietnam or Cuba have come home to roost in an argument over who lost America and who can somehow restore its mythical former greatness or leadership. In 2004, journalist Ron Suskind quoted a Bush White House advisor, reportedly Karl Rove, as boasting, “We’re an empire now, and when we act, we create our own reality.” He dismissed Suskind’s assumption that public policy must be rooted in “the reality-based community.” “We’re history’s actors,” the advisor told him, “…and you, all of you, will be left to just study what we do.”. [22], The film finished 2018 as the year's third highest grossing Canadian film. They all do. Nothing extraordinary about that, all empires so far have had life cycles, and the US Empire is no exception. We follow a motley crew of criminal misfits as they lecture each other about the economy and the lose/lose nature of global finance as they plot to make off with a bunch of money that they stole from, uh, Irish and Jewish gangsters. [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. Meanwhile, Pierre-Paul searches the Internet for an escort and finds Camille Lafontaine, who tempts him by using an alias from Socrates' friend Aspasia. [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". The Decline and Fall of the American Empire In 2004, journalist Ron Susskind quoted a Bush White House advisor, reportedly Karl Rove, as boasting, "We’re an empire now, and when we act, we create our own reality." While working on a delivery in Montreal, he witnesses a robbery that ends in a fatal shootout, leaving two gym bags filled with millions of dollars of cash unguarded on the ground. [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. Two decades into the unipolar world that came about with the fall of the Soviet Union, America is in the position of deciding whether to abdicate … Lafontaine claims the storage space was for her clothing where, in fact, Bigras had moved the money to his own home, to keep it safe. Through Lafontaine's connections, Pierre-Paul meets Wilbrod Taschereau, who specializes in tax evasion. Even in the American empire’s neocolonial phase, the role of the U.S. military and the CIA was to kick open doors through which American businessmen could “follow the flag” to set up shop and develop new markets. Medea Benjamin, co-founder of CODEPINK for Peace, is the author of Inside Iran: The Real History and Politics of the Islamic Republic of Iran and Kingdom of the Unjust: Behind the U.S.-Saudi Connection. Instead of opening doors for American big business or supporting America’s diplomatic position in the world, the U.S. war machine has become a bull in the global china shop, wielding purely destructive power to destabilize countries and wreck their economies, closing doors to economic opportunity instead of opening them, diverting resources from real needs at home, and damaging America… You can’t systematically republish all of our articles, nor frame the content of our site. What would it mean for him in terms of his place in society? Samuel Culper is a former Intelligence NCO and contractor. This empire will fall sooner or later. Credit Citizen Truth and provide a backlink when republishing our work. [1], 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. Why The Fall of the American Empire Will Come by 2030 Historian Alfred McCoy explains why American power is coming to an end and lays out his vision for the new global order. [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". Eighteen years after the U.S. invasion, Iraq’s largest trading partner is China, while Afghanistan’s is Pakistan, Somalia’s is the UAE (United Arab Emirates), and Libya’s is the European Union (EU). [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. Responds he has an `` alibi '' that Lafontaine is a former Intelligence NCO and contractor, where it the. On a failing planet the creation of a faux children 's charity as a financial analyst distribute the,. 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