popularity

His films like 'Sunset Boulevard' and 'The Apartment' dissect the corrupting nature of fame and social climbing in Hollywood and corporate America.

He explored how desire for popularity and social acceptance destroys individuals in films like 'The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant' and 'Ali: Fear Eats the Soul.'

His works including 'Persona' and 'Through a Glass Darkly' examine the psychological cost of public image and the fragility of identity beneath a constructed persona.