The Aggressives

Filmmaker Daniel Peddle spent five years shooting this documentary on the lives of half a dozen New York lesbians who define themselves as “aggressives” in reference to their take-charge, dominating personalities. However, their femininity sometimes conflicts with their gender-bending: Marquise tries to adopt a masculine persona, for instance, but after enlisting in the Army she is forced to live as a woman, while Kisha finds her “aggressiveness” at odds with her blossoming modeling career. The women, who are predominantly African American and Latina (one is Asian American), are frank and often funny, even if their lives are often anything but joyful (one is newly released from prison, another sells drugs). The film also features a mirror version of Jennie Livingston's 1990 drag queen documentary Paris is Burning, presenting a “ball” scene in which lesbians compete on the runway (one of the profiled women, often mistaken for a man outside of these contests, offers an insider's peek at what goes into her preparation). To its credit, The Aggressives forces viewers to reconsider the nature of gender and sexual labels—none of the women are particularly comfortable living solely under the heading of “lesbian” (one even declares she's not a lesbian since she dates transgendered men), while from a sociological standpoint, the film is valuable for offering a rare glimpse into a vibrant subculture often overlooked by both mainstream media and leading outlets in the gay press. Highly recommended. [Note: The Aggressives is also available on home video DVD from Image Entertainment at a price of $19.99.] Aud: C, P. (P. Hall)