shipwreck tragedy

His obsession with human struggle against nature is exemplified in films like 'Aguirre, the Wrath of God' and 'Fitzcarraldo', exploring madness and disaster in extreme environments.

Though not exclusively maritime, his allegorical use of shipwreck and drowning as metaphors for societal collapse appears throughout his politically charged cinema, particularly in 'Crimson Gold' and his later experimental works.