STRIKE A POSE // A FILM REVIEW OF "DEEP IN VOGUE"
The classic documentary Paris is Burning explored the queer ball culture extensively and is still considered one of the best documentaries of all time. It's still just as relevant and important as ever in 2020. The new doc DEEP IN VOGUE continues to tell the story of the ball culture, but this time from the perspective of Northern Ball, found in Manchester England. It covers a year in time, building up to the "Manchester ICONS Vogue Ball," a decadent event where various houses and participants enter in the hopes of leaving number one. But it's also a place where they all go to feel like a superstar, win or lose. The doc follows several people in the Northern Ball scene and four respective Vogue Houses: House of Ghetto, House of Decay, House of Suarez and House of Cards. We hear stories straight from many of the participants, including Darren Pritchard, Grace Oni Smith, Darren Suarez, Joshua Hubbard & Paul S Ferns as well as from the Vogue Ball MC Rikki Beadle-Blair. Some state that they often keep to themselves in everyday life, expressing that they sadly can't always wear what they want to wear around their neighborhoods in fear of retaliation from those around them. All can agree that the ballroom world is where they come alive and where all are accepted.
The film touches on many of the important aspects of the Vogue culture, including LGBTQ rights, general acceptance, introducing queer culture to a larger audience and society's idea of masculinity. They talk of the history of drag balls in the 1930's, pageants and competitions similar to Miss World, and how those morphed through the years into more extravagant events with participants in even bigger costumes, channeling movie stars and larger than life personalities. They also touch on the racism within the drag balls and how Black Dragqueens would never do as well as White Dragqueens in the competitions, so the Black community went away and created their own balls. Speaking about how the history of Vogue is based in appropriation is also an important talking point. In fact, all of the subjects they touch on are both fascinating and important. However, as great as everyone we meet are and as fabulous as many of the sequences may be, everything just feels just skin-deep.
The running time is barely 60 minutes and doesn't have nearly enough time to fully explore any of the powerful issues they skim upon here. Why the filmmakers chose to make a documentary about a world with such vibrant stories to tell with such a short running time is beyond me. That alone stops it from making lasting impression of its own. When speaking of the Vogue culture, Darren Sanchez boldly says, "It's important that it becomes culture, not just queer culture." That statement is explored briefly but again, never fully developed as it seems it should have been.
There are some great moments and wonderful performances but with all of the bursting personality that the subjects shine onto the screen, it truly is a shame that the film doesn't go deeper. Sadly, DEEP IN VOGUE will be remembered for not going deep enough into the world of Northern Voguing, even Voguing itself, and inside brings up a lot of great information but doesn't make time to fully explore it.
GRADE: B
DIRECTED BY: Dennis Keighron-Foster, Amy Watson FEATURING Joshua Hubbard, Darren Suarez, Grace Oni Smith, Darren Pritchard, Rikki Beadle-Blair, Paul S Ferns. NOW PLAYING ON VOD EVERYWHERE.