His epic films like 'Once Upon a Time in America' and 'Once Upon a Time in the West' explore violence, power, and moral complexity as metaphors for Italian and American historical trajectories.

He directly chronicled Italian history through masterpieces like 'The Leopard' and 'Rocco and His Brothers,' examining the transition from feudalism to modernity and class struggle in Italian society.

His films like 'Amarcord' and '8½' deeply engage with Italian cultural and historical identity, exploring memory, fascism, and the transformation of Italian society in the 20th century.