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Paris is Burning

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Synopsis

Editor's note:
The film's cover art incorrectly states the disc as full screen.
In fact, the presentation is an enhanced 1:85 widescreen.

Harlem drag balls are the subject of lesbian director Jennie Livingston's award-winning, landmark, and sensationally entertaining doc-u-portrait.

-- Erik Schut

3 Reasons To buy this film

A trip to a world most folks never even knew existed.
One of the most startlingly fascinating documentaries made.
Life-affirming, gender-and-race stereotype destroying brilliance.

Review

Voguing, an underground dance invented by black and Latino queers, burst upon the pop scene when Madonna "took" voguing for herself and popularized it. But it's the originators of the form who are this film's subject.

Voguers, or "ball walkers," affiliate themselves with "Houses," the equivalent of gay street gangs, and compete for trophies at the late-nite balls. For some, these balls are the only escape they have from their otherwise poverty-stricken lives. Livingston uses sensitivity and compassion in documenting her stars. From legendary drag queen Dorian Corey, to multi-grand prize winner Pepper Labeija, to hot voguer Willi Ninja, all are fierce, friendly and for real.

Vanilla queens will undoubtedly "live" while being taught the finer points of "reading," "kee-kee" and "shade" by the late and remarkable Dorian, while Pepper effuses "all of New York is wrapped up in the House of Labeija." Pressed up in St. Laurent, of course.

The film itself has never looked better. Originally shot in 16mm, the print has been cleaned, and the ball walkers' couture colors really pop. Being that some of the footage is over 20 years old, there's a certain amount of grain that is simply unavoidable (the late-night shots at the piers are a tad dark at times). The Dolby 2.0 sound is more than adequate, as this is largely a dialogue-driven film.

But the disc's real "gaggers" are the 16 deleted scenes. Livingston had hours and hours of footage that never made it into the film, and this is what mega-fans - this reviewer included - have wanted to see all these years. Clocking in at nearly 40 minutes, they run the gamut of fiercely quotable to the downright odd. The footage is in pretty weak shape, and appears to have been taken directly from an editing machine. Some of the scenes don't even have sound, but the hilarious subtitling more than make up for it.

The commentary track covers many aspects. It includes director Livingston, film editor Jonathan Oppenheim, and stars Willi Ninja and Freddie Pendavis. Livingston's comments are fantastic - although they sound a bit "scripted" in the beginning - as are the rest of the cast's. Sadly, many of the featured stars are no longer around; Dorian Corey's thoughts all these years later would have been killer. Overall though, a great track fans will kee-kee over.

One more note: The film was originally projected theatrically in 1:66, its proper aspect ratio. The back cover clearly yet incorrectly states the disc's presentation at 1:33 full screen (the shrink wrap even alerts widescreen TV viewers to adjust their settings). However, the film has been "masked" at a 1:85 widescreen aspect ratio. Only truly pyscho fans may notice minor cropping, but mostly the presentation is fab.

If you've never heard of the film until now you're in for quite a treat; downtown New York was never so fierce. If you "live" for the film the way some of us do, this long-awaited disc issue will leave you "pressed" and "plucked." Yes indeed, Paris' "voice is still there."

One of the most important and successful documents of gay life ever, this landmark film (which captured major awards at several film festivals) is truly "legendary." So, "why y'all gagging so?"

-- Erik Schut

Favorite Line

"I've been around for two decades. Reigning, that is.
I've won more grand prizes than all the rest.
-Pepper LaBeija

"Wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a minute! Let's not get LOUD..."
-Dorian Corey

"In error, you can, you know... wear natural fibers.
If you choose the polyester God help you, you know how the children are..."
-Junior LaBeija

"Touch this skin honey... touch all of this skin.
You just can't take it. You're just an overgrown orangutan."
-Venus Xtravaganza

"Except that voice is still there..."
-Carmen Xtravaganza

Customer Reviews

A Time that Was

Amos Lassen wrote on 02/20/2011:

“Paris is Burning”
A Time that Was
Amos Lassen
One of the best reviewed documentaries about gay life has finally found its way to DVD, “Is Paris Burning” by Jenny Livingston. This documentary about gay, black and Hispanic men who are transsexuals or transvestites is absolutely riveting. The beauty of the film is that director Livingston takes a subject that could very easily become a laughing matter and freak show and shows the true humanity of the people in the film. We hear from their mouths their views on being gay, about the people in their lives and those they want in their lives, about what their dreams are and we learn of their disappointments.
This is not a movie about men that dress in female clothing; it is about a marginalized segment of society and the things they do to have a feeling of community. It is a commentary on the materialism in our culture and deals with gender roles, about the differences between the rich and the poor and what the media selects for us, as a culture, to worship. It is very humane and very sad at the same time.
Many of the people in the movie are no longer with us but I have been told that the ballroom scene, as depicted here, is very much alive. Originally released in 1990, the movie is now 17 years old but it is still a revelation. The “vogueing” houses of New York have become an integral part of gay life and have been around for decades. Here is a film that focuses on an aspect of our lives that probably could have gone ignored so the movie has historical importance.
The film begins in 1986 when blacks and Hispanic drag queens held “balls” where they would dress up however they wanted and would display their outfits and be ranked by voting. We get a change to meet the participants and see how they hold together and give each other support. We understand the importance of this community when one says to another, “You have three strikes against you—you’re black, gay and a drag queen”. The only place they seem to be accepted is at their balls. The guys here are well aware of their position in society. They all live in “houses” run by various “mothers” and they each help the other.
The film is most definitely a period piece—the New York of the film is no more but the balls are still held but that same community spirit is gone. In doing research on the film, I learned that Madonna actually got the idea of vogueing from the houses. It seems that the vogue allowed people to fight with each other within the confines of everything but touch which would bring about an automatic disqualification from one of the houses. The vogues were spectacular. It did not matter who you were or where you came from, the moment you entered a house, you entered a magic kingdom and you became bigger than you really were and you were your own creation. Here we see a group of men who embraced their ideals passionately.
“Paris is Burning” is a movie about real people, a real time and a real place but more than that it is a movie about courage—courage to live life the way one wants to live it regardless of consequences. It is not strange that the majority of participants were from minority groups. The theme of behavior modification shows that it was the only way that they could be themselves. We see to what extent a person will go to be accepted in a country that allows racism and homophobia.