The film utilizes a fantastical, non-humanoid aesthetic that avoids explicit depictions of identity. It deconstructs romantic tropes by focusing on the artifice of storytelling rather than heteronormative hierarchies.

Directed by a woman, the film shifts the gaze away from male-centric myth-making. The use of Royal Ballet dancers allows for a fluid exploration of agency that subverts traditional damsel archetypes.

The highly stylized, puppet-like characters obscure traditional racial markers. While the setting is London's East End, the film lacks active, intentional representation of diverse ethnic identities.

The film embraces narrative relativism by treating fairy tales as constructs. The retelling of Andersen's work moves away from didactic morality toward a more secular, sociological observation of environment.

There is no explicit portrayal of characters with disabilities. The focus on the technicality of movement avoids 'inspiration porn' tropes, though the stylized characters prevent a direct assessment.