The Decline of the American Empire - 5

This French-Canadian (written and directed by Denys Arcand) film is a conversational film involving a group of intellectuals who separately talk about sex. The first part of the film has the women meeting at the gym while men prepare the meal for a dinner party. It seems to me that the crux of the film is the intro interview with a history professor who has just released a book about the decline of the American empire. She proposes that when a culture become obsessed and focused on personal happiness it is the beginning of the end for that culture. The rest of the film is then a conversation and example of this problem as it effects the lives of these 7 intellectuals. The film has the easy job of showing that in fact we may be witness to the decline of the American empire. Which is surprising since this film was made in 1986. The film is similar to The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie.