duel and honor

His spaghetti westerns, particularly the Dollars Trilogy, are built entirely around the code of honor between gunfighters and the ritualistic nature of duels in lawless frontier settings.

His samurai films like 'Sanjuro' and 'Harakiri' explore honor culture, ritual combat, and the moral contradictions inherent in codes of bushido and dueling traditions.

His meticulous examination of conflict in films like 'Barry Lyndon' and 'Paths of Glory' deconstructs the romantic notions of honor and dignity in violent confrontations.