Maggots and Men is Cronenwett’s spin on Eisenstein’s Battleship Potemkin story. Instead of portraying revolution as a glorious, transient triumph by communists, Cronenwett instead recontextualizes revolution as an on-going anarchist struggle. The rebellion is not tied to ideology or faction, but rather, spread out diversely among sailors of diverse backgrounds. The use of trans and nonbinary actors, along with the expression of queer ideas, is in and of itself an affirmation of non-discriminatory utopia.
Rather than imagery of violence and bloodshed in the first act, the viewer is met with serene scenes of community and levity. The direction seems to
