anthropological descent

His documentaries and films obsessively examine human behavior, survival, and the primal forces underlying civilization, particularly in 'Aguirre, the Wrath of God' and 'Fitzcarraldo.'

His work traces humanity's descent through violence, sexuality, and the corruption of innocence, most brutally in 'Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom' and his anthropological interest in primal cultures.

His films explore the atavistic nature of violence and vengeance in human society, depicting how civilization's veneer conceals our capacity for brutality and moral regression.