Paris Is Burning

Half sad, half exuberant.

The earnestness of the competition is what holds this film together.

There is a lot of common sense and natural wit behind the role-playing. Yet there is also a terrible sadness in the testimony.

[The film intercuts] ball scenes with interviews with the participants in less hectic, more reflective moments. It is those personal, humanizing moments, much more than the hectic, eye-catching hubbub of performance, that truly linger in the mind.

If the wit, glamour and mind-boggling outfits of Paris Is Burning are disarming, not far beneath the film's surface is an immensely moving quality.

If all you know about Voguing comes from Madonna, this spirited and heartbreaking documentary from first-time filmmaker Jennie Livingston will be an eyeopener.

The ballroom scene may seem niche to the uninitiated, but 'Paris is Burning' makes it clear that it’s ingrained in the fabric of this country’s culture—past and present.

... crackles because of its subjects.

This beautiful film is about surviving on the fringe—and looking amazing while doing it.

Makes smashing use of the documentary form: it shares with the audience its knowledge of a glittering American subculture... that is little known to most of us.