His film 'Come and See' presents the most harrowing examination of how military duty destroys innocence through the eyes of a child soldier.

His films 'Full Metal Jacket' and 'Paths of Glory' deconstruct military duty as a system that dehumanizes individuals and questions its moral foundations.

His meditative war films like 'The Thin Red Line' explore military duty through the lens of existential philosophy, spirituality, and the conflict between individual conscience and collective obligation.