Denys Arcand’s sequel to 1986’s The Decline of the American Empire is a conceited exercise in pomposity couched in a comedy/drama about the passage of time and the inexorableness of death. The Barbarian Invasions, winner of the Academy Award for Best Foreign Film at the 2004 Oscars, picks up the characters from the 1986 film as they grow older and face health problems.
Remy (Remy Girard) is battling terminal cancer in the careworn Canadian health care system. He is living out his final days in a hospital bed painfully. Remy’s ex-wife Louise (Dorothee Berryman) convinces Remy’s son, Sebastien (Stephane Rousseau) to visit from London. Sebastien is a successful businessman with a fragile, to say the least, relationship with his father. He half-heartedly arrives, only to take charge over the situation and ensure that his father receives better care and is able to live out his final days as he wishes.
Sebastien moves Remy to an unfilled floor at the crowded Quebec hospital because most of Canada’s hospitals are filled with unfilled floors and rooms. Remy’s son is then able to convince several of his father’s friends to come and pay him a visit. Familiar characters from The Decline of the American Empire show up and we see how their lives have changed (they really haven’t) and how they come to terms with Remy’s condition.
The strength of Arcand’s films comes with the dialogue and with the vanity that each character imposes upon us. By philosophizing incessantly about their lives and how significant their experiences are, Arcand’s characters give us a sense of slick approval like only French Canadians can. While The Decline of the American Empire focused on the characters entering their middle ages, The Barbarian Invasions gives us the characters entering the “wind down” phase of life.
Make no mistake about it, The Barbarian Invasions is a dialogue-driven picture. It is filled with musings about sex, politics, faith, and superiority. So devoid of any actual struggle are these characters that a lot of the clamour seems exceedingly empty. And that’s really where Arcand drops the ball.
Article comments
1 - Jen
Wow, this is an interesting take and very well-written. While I'm not a huge fan of the director, this is the film of his that I admired the most but agree that it was pretty pompous. I was fortunate enough to have been in attendance at a screening where Remy Girard participated in a Q&A and shed some light on these concerns. Lol, it was years ago but I do remember that he kept joking that those needing cheaper medications should leave "W's America" and come to Canada where all are welcome! :) A few people walked out but a majority cheered him on. It was really interesting to see a Canadian filmmaker's take on the health care situation but I remember being puzzled by the approach and left with more q's than answers. Again, great piece, Jordan, as always!