Film Review Paris Is Burning

¶ … Paris is Burning chronicles the lives of African-American drag queens and gay men during the heyday of the New York City 'vogue-ing' fad. The filmmaker follows several men involved in the scene and shows the release mechanism the theatrical space of the club provide in their lives. The main protagonists are marginal figures in the mainstream world that often denies their existence or threatens them with violence. They are ostracized from the African-American community because of their 'queerness' and from much of the gay community because of their poverty and their color.

Introductory material

Paris is Burning presents a world that likely seems strange and unfamiliar to many people on its surface. Even people who have seen 'drag acts' and are familiar with gay culture may know very little about this New York City subculture of the 1980s. The film begins with little explicitly introduction, showing the viewer scenes of the main character's lives, and contrasting them with scenes of the drag balls. The characters talk a bit about what makes a good performance at a drag show, and how the participants are judged. But rather than telling the viewer explicitly what is going on, the viewer is instead encouraged to deduce things by implication.

The racism and homophobia the characters have encountered is introduced subtly as well. However, the film's early juxtaposition between life on the streets and life during the drag shows; between the struggles of the characters to survive and also to dress themselves and create an illusion of beauty is informative for the viewer and immediately establishes the tone of the film.

Q2. Music/sound

Music is a vitally important part of the protagonists' lives. It makes them feel connected to something larger than themselves, as they desperately search for dignity. When dancing in drag and pretending to be either a gender or wearing the clothes of someone of a higher social class, these men feel 'the most themselves.' The dances or 'balls' they participate in are competitive events, and the ability of the drag queens to convincingly walk to the music and embody the music in their movements is a critical component of how they are judged. Understanding the importance of music in the lives of the drag queens is an important part of understanding who they aspire to be.

Q3) Narration

Paris is Burning is free of any overriding narrative voice of the filmmaker. Many of the subjects are very garrulous, and they are allowed to do most of the talking in the film. The film is presented as a 'slice of life' that the viewer is overhearing, rather than tells the viewer what to think about what he or she sees, although the director obviously selected scenes to present a particular image he or she wanted the viewer to have about the characters. Because the characters have been so judged and demonized by society, the documentary attempts to allow them to give their own voice to their lives, not be characterized in the voices of others. That is why the absence of a great deal of narration is such a powerful and valid choice. The characters also have different impressions of their lives and what identity and drag means to them, and by using interviews, a complex and multi-level portrait is created, rather than suggesting that all of the characters think the same way about drag.

Q4. Native voice

Members of the group frequently speak for themselves in one-on-one interviews in which they talk directly to the camera and reveal things about themselves. This enables the viewer to better understand characters who would otherwise be very difficult to comprehend, such as one drag queen trying to save enough money for sex reassignment surgery and another who shoplifts to find the right clothes to wear to compete. Many of these characters have no life outside of the competitive dancing because their families and communities have cast them out.