class and tradition

His films obsessively examine the decline of aristocracy and the tension between old money traditions and modern social upheaval, particularly in works like The Leopard and Death in Venice.

He explores the collision between traditional Japanese culture and industrialization, examining how class systems and ancestral customs shape individual identity across films like Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke.

His austere, naturalistic films dissect post-communist class struggles and the persistence of feudal social hierarchies in contemporary Eastern Europe, as seen in 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days.