free will vs. confinement

His films like *Black Swan* and *The Wrestler* depict protagonists trapped by obsession, psychology, and circumstance, questioning whether their choices are truly free or predetermined by their nature.

Works such as *Funny Games* and *Cache* systematically explore how characters are confined by social structures, violence, and moral ambiguity while probing the limits of viewer agency.

His visually poetic films like *In the Mood for Love* and *Chungking Express* capture characters imprisoned by desire, fate, and urban isolation despite their yearning for freedom.