SummaryA chronicle of New York's drag scene in the 1980s, focusing on balls, voguing and the ambitions and dreams of those who gave the era its warmth and vitality.
Directed By:Jennie Livingston
Paris Is Burning
Metascore
Universal Acclaim
82
User score
Generally Favorable
7.7
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Top Cast
Metascore
Universal Acclaim
95% Positive
21 Reviews
21 Reviews
5% Mixed
1 Review
1 Review
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
100
Technically rough and ragged, Paris nonetheless does an excellent job of digesting a rich, multilayered subculture, and breaking it down for a general audience without oversimplification. [09 Aug 1991, p.F1]
88
Paris is Burning crackles because of its subjects, almost all of whom are natural performers in some way.
User score
Generally Favorable
75% Positive
12 Ratings
12 Ratings
13% Mixed
2 Ratings
2 Ratings
13% Negative
2 Ratings
2 Ratings
Apr 30, 2025
10
How close Jennie Livingston gets to her protagonists is impressive; you feel like you're traveling in New York in the late '80s. Inspiring, enlightening, full of humanity and great music. An important document of the times and a must-see for anyone interested in the **** community.
88
A rough-edged, talking-heads documentary, directed with skill if not polish by Jennie Livingston, that has found a topic almost unbelievably rich in cultural paradoxes and interpretive possibilities. [09 Aug 1991, p.C]
80
Paris Is Burning is a strong film about a segment of our society that is determined to survive. It's not just a film about gays, it's about fighting prejudice and trying to achieve a dream, something we all do now and then. [09 Aug 1991]
75
Livington's film provides a lively look at an exotic subculture that mimics the values of the white majority with unique wit, irony, and style. [07 May 1991, p.2]
75
What I saw was a successful attempt by the outsiders to dramatize how success and status in the world often depend on props you can buy, or steal, almost anywhere - assuming you have the style to know how to use them.
60
A poignant, heartfelt tribute to a vibrant New York subculture and its flamboyant acolytes, captured on grainy celluloid, shortly before it got appropriated and streamlined by the mainstream.
Jul 29, 2020
6
I wasn't sure what to expect when seeing it. There's been so much build up after watching Drag Race and Pose. I hate to say Viewing it now it was a touch disappointing. Don't get me wrong I loved the exploration of the Ballroom culture and gay people of color. But after seeig so much it feels a little shorted. It's definitely an intriguing look at the time period and how these people lived their lives and what happened to them. It's a documentary and is effective as a "slice of life". At the time when it was released and even now it shows a side to our story that's criminally underseen and under represented and for that it was and continues to be such a huge success. 6/10
Production Company:
- Art Matters Inc.
- BBC Television
- Edelman Family Fund
- Miramax
- New York Foundation for the Arts
- New York State Council on the Arts
- Off White Productions Inc.
- Prestige
- The Jerome Foundation
- The National Endowment for the Arts
- The Paul Robeson Fund
- WNYC-TV
Release Date:Aug 1, 1991
Duration:1 h 11 m
Rating:R
Tagline:Having a ball...wish you were here
Awards
Cinema Eye Honors Awards, US
• 3 Wins & 3 Nominations
Boston Society of Film Critics Awards
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
Kansas City Film Critics Circle Awards
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
