The film centers on non-heteronormative experiences by explicitly depicting Frida Kahlo’s bisexuality. Her relationships with women, particularly Chavela Vargas, are integrated into her essential identity rather than treated as peripheral subplots.

Kahlo is portrayed with immense agency and intellectual vitality that often eclipses the men in her life. The narrative deconstructs patriarchal marriage myths through the volatile power dynamics between Kahlo and Rivera.

Set in post-revolutionary Mexico, the film uses a non-Anglo-Saxon cast to ground the story. It prioritizes Mexican national identity and celebrates indigenous influences through its visual language.

The narrative explores Marxist frameworks and critiques capitalist structures through the artistic community. It embraces a subjective, non-Western perspective that prioritizes personal liberation over traditional morality.

Kahlo’s physical suffering from polio and a bus accident serves as a catalyst for her surrealist expression. The film avoids pity, instead portraying her limitations with raw realism and dignity.