Mata Hari, Agent H21

The film focuses solely on heterosexual relationships and interactions with male military figures. There are no queer narratives or non-binary gender identities present.

Mata Hari demonstrates a significant role in driving the story by using her intelligence and sexuality to navigate male-dominated environments. However, the film relies on the femme fatale archetype, which ties female power to sexuality.

The story introduces ethnic complexity by portraying a woman of mixed Dutch and Indonesian heritage. This adds a non-Anglo-Saxon presence to a predominantly white historical setting.

The narrative explores moral relativism and the corrupting influence of wartime geopolitics. It avoids didactic morality, framing espionage within a chaotic, gray-zone ethical landscape.

There is no focus on visible or invisible disabilities within the film's narrative or historical context.