Surgical scenes are high pressure and sometimes bloody.
Dr. Blalock is sometimes very verbally abusive of Vivien Thomas.
Many scenes show overt racism. Used with historical accuracy.
A major theme of the movie is children born with a fatal condition. Scenes include visiting a ward full of children who have this condition, a young couple coping with the fact that their baby is expected to die soon and debating whether to allow surgery (including religious aspects of the decision), and crowds of desperate parents seeking care for their ailing children.