The film adheres to heteronormative structures typical of its early 20th-century setting. It focuses on the central romantic pairing of Modigliani and Jeanne without featuring non-cisnormative identities.

Jeanne Héloïse is granted significant emotional agency, acting as a participant in a high-stakes romantic struggle rather than a passive muse. Masculinity is portrayed through addiction and social non-conformity.

The film uses the multicultural milieu of Montparnasse to explore ethnic identity. As an Italian Jew, the protagonist serves as a focal point for navigating identity within Western Europe.

The narrative critiques religious and familial institutions as agents of control and oppression. It also explores the friction between the artist and capitalist commercialization.

Mental health and neurodivergence are explored through the 'tortured artist' archetype. These elements often serve as dramatic devices rather than nuanced depictions of lived experience.