religious allegory

His films directly retell biblical narratives with profound theological complexity, most notably in 'The Gospel According to St. Matthew' and 'Salò,' which use religious symbolism to explore suffering and spiritual crisis.

His metaphysical cinema weaves Christian and Orthodox mysticism throughout works like 'Stalker' and 'The Mirror,' creating meditative explorations of faith, redemption, and divine presence.

His austere visual style and focus on martyrdom and spiritual endurance in films like 'The Passion of Joan of Arc' and 'Vampyr' create profound religious allegories about sacrifice and transcendence.