Rotten Tomatoes Logo Do you want to see ‘Paris Is Burning’?

Paris Is Burning (1991)

tomatometer

100

Average Rating: 7.6/10
Reviews Counted: 10
Fresh: 10 | Rotten: 0

No consensus yet.

No Score Yet...

Average Rating: N/A
Critic Reviews: 3
Fresh: 3 | Rotten: 0

audience

83

liked it
Average Rating: 4/5
User Ratings: 2,944

My Rating

Movie Info

Poignant, well-received documentary that reveals the community of New York's minority drag queens, gay black and Latino men who cross dress as women and invent the dance style of "voguing," imitating the fashion poses on the covers of the magazine Vogue. As director Jennie Livingston discovers, her subjects band together into family-like "houses" for protection, taking the same last names and competing in drag balls where awards are given out for authenticity or "realness," as well as other

Sep 6, 2005

Academy Entertainment

All Critics (19) | Top Critics (7) | Fresh (12) | Rotten (0) | DVD (5)

Livingston is smart enough to realize that her subjects are best equipped to explain themselves.

July 10, 2009 Full Review Source: MovieMartyr.com | Comment
MovieMartyr.com

This landmark docu celebrates the resourcefulness of a group that's subcultural but not truly countercultural--its denizens long to become members of the society they imitate, operating at its periphery.

October 6, 2006 Full Review Source: EmanuelLevy.Com | Comment

Fantastic, voyeuristic look at a world most people know nothing about...and maybe don't want to!

September 21, 2005 Full Review | Comment
Wordmag.com

Hardly a drag. Fifteen years later, Paris still burns with life.

September 10, 2005 Full Review Source: Slant Magazine | Comment
Slant Magazine

The beauty of the film is Livingston's nonjudgmental, accommodating camera.

September 10, 2005 Full Review Source: Slant Magazine | Comment
Slant Magazine
More Critic Reviews

Audience Reviews for Paris Is Burning

Intruiging documentary about the lives of homosexuals and drag balls in Harlem, specifically vogueing, the art of dancing in a way that rips off runway models. The way these people look at certain things in life, it's obvious they've become separated from reality a bit if only because of the way they've been cast away

August 11, 2008
middleeasternfilms
Derek Daniels

Super Reviewer

It's just fab that there are any documentaries as revealing and close to its subjects as 'Paris Is Burning'. An obvious landmark for queer filmmaking, a paradigm examination of documentary subjects - footage of people emoting and expressing raw feelings. Beautiful

February 2, 2008
Stinger839

Super Reviewer

Paris Is Burning Quotes

No quotes approved yet for Paris Is Burning. Logged in users can submit quotes.

Movies Like Paris Is Burning

Latest News for Paris Is Burning

What's Hot On RT

Luis Guzman
Luis Guzman

What are his 10 best movies ever?

<em>Amazing Spider-Man</em>
Amazing Spider-Man

See the all-new action-packed trailer!

The Avengers!
The Avengers!

Five new Marvelous pictures

Total Recall
Total Recall

Unconventional Superheroes

Top Movie Quizzes

LEGO Mania: 2011 Best Picture Nominees
by natalie - 18,545 taken
created 12 months ago
How Much Do You Know About Leonardo DiCaprio?
by natalie - 44,394 taken
created 15 months ago
Pixar Movies!
by jdikwlzviv - 27,126 taken
created 15 months ago
The Wizards of Harry Potter
by jdikwlzviv - 27,629 taken
created 15 months ago

Foreign Titles

  • Paris Is Burning (1990) (DE)
  • Paris Is Burning (1990) (CA)
Help | About | Jobs | Newsletter | Critics Submission | API | Licensing | Blog | Developers | Mobile