JUSQU’AU DECLIN/ THE DECLINE

Canada, 2020, 83 minutes, Colour.
Real Bosse, Guillaume Laurin, Marie- Evelyne Lessard, Marc Beaupre, Marc-Andre? Grondin, Marilyn Castonguay Isabelle Giroux.
Directed by Patrice Laliberte.

The Decline is the first Netflix film made in Québec. It is a brief film, a kind of psychodrama, a portrait of survivalists.

The film opens dramatically with a family trying to escape from their home with supplies – only to find that it is a rehearsal for the real thing if and when it happens. The father of the family watches a television program where a leading survivalist is giving instructions how to preserve food. He then travels out into the snow clad forests and wilderness in order to participate in a survivalist program.

The leader is admired, an expert on survivalist techniques, setting up his home and headquarters, paths in the forest with traps, another building with supplies in time of crisis. The attitude of the team is very gung ho as latest participate in exercises, shooting – until a hunting accident and the whole atmosphere changes. Dilemmas is has to whether to conceal what has happened, or the risk of exposing them all to police. Different attitudes, different decisions, some violent confrontations and an tense sequence when one of the party is trapped under ice.

Underlying the action are questions about the mentality of the survivalists and of the leader and his behaviour, something of a cult leader.

1. The title? Survivalists? The quest? The accident? The decline?

2. A film from Québec? The city of Montréal, homes, streets? The transition to the country, the snow, the forest, the centre for the survivalists? The musical score?

3. The opening, the family, the haste in escaping, the drive? And timing the escape? The rehearsal? The family collaborating?

4. The sense of menace, of some kind of collapse in society? The means for survival? Antoine and his watching Alain on the television, supplies food? Antoine and his admiration for Alain?

5. Antoine driving out into the countryside, Alain meeting him, the blindfold, the ride over the snow, the compound, the tent and the accommodation, the main centre, the explanation of all the suppliers, self-sufficient, poultry, crops, trees…?

6. The introduction to the group, the different personalities, for men and two women? Some military backgrounds?

7. Alain, age, experience, his beliefs? Tough and demanding? The training for survival and its intensity?

8. The various activities, the weapons, hunting, in the woods, the booby-traps on the paths? The central store for refuge?

9. The interactions of the group, the audience getting to know each of them, their own backgrounds?

10. Francois, the hunting, the accident, his death? The reactions of each? Concern? The issue of going to the police? Guilt and blame? Fear?

11. The arguments, the rights and wrongs, justice? Sleeping on the decision? Alain and his burning the body and the equipment?

12. The group taking sides, David and his militarism, supporting Alain? Helene and her wanting to leave, the police, David and his brutality? Alain shooting her leg? Their leaving her, her death?

13. The three going away, on the path, Sebastien and the trap? Antoine and Rachel, their characters, persevering though pursued, finding the store, the ammunition? The escape, on the frozen river, Rachel and the ice, Antoine and his initiative, the difficulty in cracking the ice, rescuing Rachel? Warmth, her recovery? The weapons? Persevering, reaching the car, and one shot?

14. Rachel, surviving, with the gun, confronting David, his weapon? His being wounded? Rachel bashing him?

15. Alain, on the vehicle, Rachel returning to the house? The eventual confrontation, the fight and her strength, eventually overcoming Alain?

16. Rachel, surviving, going back to the city?

17. The moral of this kind of story of survivalists activity, the mentality of those participating, attitude towards society?