comeback attempts

His films frequently explore protagonists attempting to reclaim power, identity, or redemption after catastrophic failures, as seen in *The Game*, *Zodiac*, and *Mank*.

His work obsessively examines characters struggling to resurrect themselves from addiction, obsession, and personal ruin, most powerfully in *The Wrestler* and *Black Swan*.

His career-spanning exploration of flawed men fighting to rebuild their lives, faith, and legacies defines films like *Taxi Driver*, *Raging Bull*, and *The Irishman*.