GLITTER TRIBE – Review

Review by Stephen Tronicek

Burlesque, in the public eye, is an art form of debauchery. It’s a goof, a dirty little time that doesn’t suggest much depth. Yet, it is an artform, fueled by passionate artists, and in many cases can find itself being therapeutic and helpful. Burlesque as a word means an over exaggeration, usually having to do with sexuality, allowing a well-intentioned show that though explicit is formal enough to create a hysterical time.

A formal, yet debaucherous tone is actually what benefits GLITTER TRIBE too. The film is completely professional about the world it’s depicting and is also completely indulgent of the more debauched nature of the artform. Not indulging in both would do an injustice to the authenticity that the film is attempting to represent.

The subjects of GLITTER TRIBE are both wise and whip smart. Much of the interview footage results in some of the wittiest dialogue in any documentary. These are funny, determined people, each with a different reason for loving what they do. One of the most beautiful things in the world is watching somebody speak about and the art that they love, and the way it helps them. GLITTER TRIBE reaches a serene happiness in its coverage of this, and the respectful nature of this aspect of the film only serves to show how respectable burlesque is in its raunchiness.

It is very raunchy too. This aspect of the film complements the well intentioned and somewhat philosophical natures of the performers. There are a number of performances that are covered in the Glitter Tribe and each is oddly hilarious in their own right. They’re all so absurd that they have to be deadpan. A dancing taco, huge peacock feathers, and a swan dance to the opera from Mission Impossible 5 are all things that sound too ridiculous to have existed and those aren’t even the raunchiest ones. All of it is enlivening and gut-busting though so it works.

But again, it’s is about indulging in both the heady nature of the performers and the raunchiness that makes burlesque as an art form and the film so appealing. The balance of interview footage and performance footage perfectly reflect upon each other making for some great visual punchlines, a rarity in documentaries, and almost heartfelt ingenuity. These are people sinking themselves, their money, and their time into just making people laugh and being free and it’s just a joyous experience to watch them. If you have no qualms with the material, GLITTER TRIBE is a documentary to check out.