THEME EXPLORATION

american ambition

34 films · 3 directors

Tracing the thread…

FILMS THAT EXPLORE THIS
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
1930 · D.W. Griffith
Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull’s History Lesson
Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull’s History Lesson
1976 · Robert Altman
Custer of the West
Custer of the West
1967 · Robert Siodmak
Mississippi Blues
Mississippi Blues
1984 · Bertrand Tavernier
The Founder
The Founder
2016 · John Lee Hancock
L'Atalante
L'Atalante
1934 · Jean Vigo
Top Gun
Top Gun
1987 · Tony Scott
Viktor und Viktoria
Viktor und Viktoria
1933 · Reinhold Schünzel
Cold War
Cold War
2018 · Paweł Pawlikowski
Frankenstein
Frankenstein
2025 · Guillermo del Toro
The Pinochet Case
The Pinochet Case
2001 · Patricio Guzmán
Touki Bouki
Touki Bouki
1973 · Djibril Diop Mambéty
Wadjda
Wadjda
2012 · Haifaa al-Mansour
Hard, Fast and Beautiful
Hard, Fast and Beautiful
1951 · Ida Lupino
7 Boxes
7 Boxes
2012 · Juan Carlos Maneglia
Savage Messiah
Savage Messiah
1972 · Ken Russell
Henry V
Henry V
1989 · —
Reprise
Reprise
2006 · Joachim Trier
Salesman
Salesman
1969 · Maysles Brothers
State of Fear
State of Fear
1990 · Janusz Kijowski
Year of the Devil
Year of the Devil
2002 · Petr Zelenka
Sick of Myself
Sick of Myself
2022 · Kristoffer Borgli
Boys Go to Jupiter
Boys Go to Jupiter
2026 · Julian Glander
2DIE4
2DIE4
2026 · André Abdala
All Greens
All Greens
2026 · Takashi Koyama
Chand Mera Dil
Chand Mera Dil
2026 · Vivek Soni
Cold War 1994
Cold War 1994
2026 · Leung Lok-Man
Eagles of the Republic
Eagles of the Republic
2026 · Tarik Saleh
Doubles Match
Doubles Match
2026 · Hung Po-hao
Gaayapadda Simham
Gaayapadda Simham
2026 · Kasyap Sreenivas
Ídolos
Ídolos
2026 · Mat Whitecross
Mexico 86
Mexico 86
2026 · Gabriel Ripstein
Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie
Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie
2026 · Matt Johnson
Monkey Business
Monkey Business
2026 · Daniel Guzmán
DIRECTORS WHO EXPLORE THIS
Ron Howard USA

Humanistic storytelling that celebrates resilience and the American dream through accessible narratives.

 Sofia Coppola USA

His films, particularly The Godfather trilogy and The Conversation, explore the corrupting nature of power and the American Dream through the lens of organized crime and institutional ambition.

 Martin Scorsese USA

Scorsese repeatedly examines American ambition's darker side through characters driven by wealth, status, and survival in films like Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, and The Wolf of Wall Street.