You’ve probably seen him — the tall, lanky man with white hair, deep-set eyes and a perpetual grin clad in wild, brightly colored suits is a Chicago fixture.

Bridges over the Chicago River and sidewalks surrounding street-level televsion and radio studios are his favorite hang-outs, but he can be spotted all over downtown twirling, dancing and swinging his suit coat like a rainbow tornado for all watchers. He is Vincent P. Falk, affectionately known as Riverace, Fashion Man, The Suit or The Human Flag, among other nom de plumes.

Vincent casts an incredible first impression that may lead some to write him off as just another garden-variety eccentric or as an individual not entirely in control of his faculties. Both assumptions couldn’t be further from the truth, as evidenced in Jennifer Burn’s documentary, “Vincent: A Life in Color,” which opens May 7 at the Gene Siskel Film Center.

Burns tracks a year in the life of a man who many Chicagoans encounter every day but know nothing about. She follows him as he puts on his “fashion shows” for riverboat tours, entertains NBC, ABC and WGN audiences with witty, cheesy puns, meticulously shops for suits, and showcases his Marina City apartment. As the months pass, an inspirational, often heartbreaking, life story unfolds — one of perseverance against shattering odds and emerging on the other side, eager to bring color to each new day.

It’s a journey that begins in a Chicago orphanage and boy’s home, where the partially blind, socially awkward Vincent lived until he was eight. It runs through a bullied high school existence, wild college years in Champaign at the University of Illinois (where the clothing obsession began) and an estrangement from his adopted family. It heads back to Chicago where Vincent worked as a DJ at gay dance clubs in the ’70s before settling down as a computer programmer for Cook County, where he works to this day.

Interviews with Vincent, his family and friends, riverboat captains, Chicago media personalities and more reveal the scope of Vincent’s touch. He’s praised as a genius. And everyone adores the innocent joie de vivre he exudes despite a lifetime of struggles. Vincent loves and is loved tremendously.

So what’s with the suits? And the dancing? What propels the exhibitionism?

Interviewees armchair psychoanalyze Vincent’s need for attention. It’s attributed to everything from his childhood abandonment to a need to create a mask to hide a lifetime of pain to keen self-promotion and artistry. Much of this could be true. However, no one denies the absolute joy his shows bring him, which ultimately trumps all.

“Vincent: A Life in Color” is not only a portrait of Vincent P. Falk, however. It’s also a tribute to the city that embraces him.

Chicago pops with a vibrancy that rivals Vincent’s clothes. The Chicago River blasts neon green on St. Patrick’s Day. The downtown skyline burns with exploding hues on the July 4 sky. Even cold January grays shine light. The colors wash over the city beautifully, creating the perfect playground for a man and his color wheel of suits.