THEME EXPLORATION

obsession with literary success

35 films · 2 directors

Tracing the thread…

FILMS THAT EXPLORE THIS
The Smashing Machine
The Smashing Machine
2026 · Benny Safdie
Rich and Famous
Rich and Famous
1981 · George Cukor
Capote
Capote
2005 · Bennett Miller
The Last Tycoon
The Last Tycoon
1976 · Elia Kazan
Enid
Enid
2009 · James Hawes
The Testament of Dr. Mabuse
The Testament of Dr. Mabuse
1933 · Fritz Lang
Audition
Audition
1999 · Takashi Miike
Great Expectations
Great Expectations
1946 · David Lean
Dillinger Is Dead
Dillinger Is Dead
1969 · Marco Ferreri
Memento
Memento
2000 · Christopher Nolan
Senso
Senso
1954 · Luchino Visconti
Querelle
Querelle
1982 · Rainer Werner Fassbinder
Chungking Express
Chungking Express
1994 · Wong Kar-wai
Burning
Burning
2018 · Lee Chang-dong
The Secret in Their Eyes
The Secret in Their Eyes
2009 · Juan José Campanella
The Cremator
The Cremator
1969 · Juraj Herz
Tony Manero
Tony Manero
2008 · Pablo Larraín
A Dangerous Method
A Dangerous Method
2011 · David Cronenberg
La flor de mi secreto
La flor de mi secreto
1994 · Pedro Almodóvar
Rolling
Rolling
2015 · Apichatpong Weerasethakul
Anthony Zimmer
Anthony Zimmer
2005 · —
Dil Se..
Dil Se..
1998 · Mani Ratnam
Murder, My Sweet
Murder, My Sweet
1944 · Edward Dmytryk
Orpheus
Orpheus
1950 · Jean Cocteau
Perfect Blue
Perfect Blue
1997 · Satoshi Kon
Winchester '73
Winchester '73
1950 · Anthony Mann
Year of the Devil
Year of the Devil
2002 · Petr Zelenka
That Day, on the Beach
That Day, on the Beach
1983 · Edward Yang
Power Ballad
Power Ballad
2026 · John Carney
Mollywood Times
Mollywood Times
2026 · Abhinav Sunder Nayak
Vertigo
Vertigo
1963 · Yannis Dalianidis
The Beloved
The Beloved
2026 · Rodrigo Sorogoyen
Bright Star
Bright Star
2009 · Jane Campion
Geuk-jang-jeon
Geuk-jang-jeon
2005 · Hong Sang-soo
Heart, Head and Hand
Heart, Head and Hand
1979 · Peter Weir
DIRECTORS WHO EXPLORE THIS
Billy Wilder USA/Austria

'Sunset Boulevard' and 'The Apartment' dissect how obsession with career advancement and literary/creative success corrupts characters and destroys relationships.

 François Truffaut France

'Day for Night' and 'The 400 Blows' reveal the obsessive nature of creative pursuit and the psychological toll of artistic ambition on filmmakers and writers.