The film focuses on the rigid, patriarchal structures of 16th-century military life. There are no discernible narratives addressing queer themes or non-cisnormative identities.

Agency is concentrated almost exclusively in male commanders and soldiers. The film highlights grim, male-dominated violence rather than subverting traditional gender roles or presenting female agency.

The cast reflects 16th-century European power dynamics, focusing on German and Italian forces. It lacks intersectional breadth, functioning as a study of European internal conflict.

The film subverts Western institutional ideals by presenting a skeptical view of empire and religious leadership. It portrays the machinery of war as inherently destructive and devoid of moral triumph.

Physical trauma is depicted through the wounding of Giovanni de' Medici. This emphasizes the era's medical limitations rather than providing agency to a character with a disability.