Cinema Atlas
Discover Ask the Atlas World Map Directors My List Newsletter
THEME EXPLORATION

idealism vs pragmatism

18 films · 3 directors

Tracing the thread…

FILMS THAT EXPLORE THIS
Primary Colors
Primary Colors
1998 · Mike Nichols
Masculin Feminin
Masculin Feminin
1966 · Jean-Luc Godard
Gimme Shelter
Gimme Shelter
1970 · Maysles Brothers
Groundhog Day
Groundhog Day
1993 · Harold Ramis
Red Bells
Red Bells
1982 · Sergey Bondarchuk
Ella McCay
Ella McCay
2026 · James L. Brooks
A Beast At Bay
A Beast At Bay
1912 · D.W. Griffith
Anzukko
Anzukko
1958 · Mikio Naruse
A Soft Note on a Sharp Scale
A Soft Note on a Sharp Scale
1961 · Ritwik Ghatak
Castaway
Castaway
1986 · Nicolas Roeg
Delius: Song of Summer
Delius: Song of Summer
1968 · Ken Russell
O Lucky Man!
O Lucky Man!
1973 · Lindsay Anderson
Lovers of Paris
Lovers of Paris
1957 · Julien Duvivier
The Mosquito Coast
The Mosquito Coast
1986 · Peter Weir
Any de Gràcia
Any de Gràcia
2012 · Ventura Pons
El impostor
El impostor
1960 · Emilio “Indio” Fernández
The Terrorist
The Terrorist
1975 · Yannis Dalianidis
Michael Collins
Michael Collins
1996 · Neil Jordan
DIRECTORS WHO EXPLORE THIS
Andrei Tarkovsky → Soviet Union

His films explore the tension between spiritual idealism and material reality through meditative narratives that question whether transcendent ideals can survive in a pragmatic world.

Cristian Mungiu → Romania

His work dissects how idealistic principles crumble against systemic corruption and human compromise, depicting characters caught between moral convictions and survival.

Ken Loach → United Kingdom

His socially conscious films pit working-class characters' idealistic hopes for justice and dignity against the harsh pragmatism of capitalist systems and institutional indifference.

Cinema Atlas
About Newsletter Privacy Terms
© Cinema Atlas 2026 · An independent world-cinema guide
Discover Search Ask the Atlas My List Newsletter