What Shall I Do With This Sword?

No same-sex romance or LGBTQ+ characters appear in the footage or credits. Dialogue focuses on heterosexual encounters between Portuguese locals and American sailors. The narrative does not address sexual orientation or gender identity.

Women appear as workers, prostitutes, and interviewees discussing their lives. Men dominate the narrative as soldiers, workers, and authority figures. Female characters offer personal perspectives but do not drive the political structure.

American sailors and Portuguese locals interact directly throughout the film. The narrative contrasts the perspectives of foreign military personnel with local workers. Casting reflects the historical setting of US naval presence in Portugal.

The film explicitly critiques NATO, military occupation, and economic disparity. Workers describe hunger and exploitation by foreign forces. Traditional institutions like the church are questioned through ironic dialogue and visual juxtapositions.

No characters with ongoing disabilities are identified in the credits or dialogue. Physical ailments are not a focal point of the narrative or character development. The film does not address disability experiences.