ambition and social mobility

His films like Taxi Driver and The Wolf of Wall Street obsessively explore the corrupting pursuit of success and the moral costs of climbing social hierarchies.

Parasite, Okja, and Snowpiercer systematically dissect class barriers and the desperation of those seeking to transcend their social position.

His neorealist masterpieces like Bicycle Thieves and Umberto D. capture the heartbreaking struggle of individuals trapped by poverty despite their ambitions.