comeback narratives

His films like 'The Wrestler' and 'Black Swan' obsessively explore characters clawing their way back to relevance through physical and psychological self-destruction.

From 'Raging Bull' to 'The Irishman', he chronicles protagonists attempting redemption and reinvention after moral collapse and violent pasts.

His narratives frequently feature heroes rising from defeat and despair to reclaim agency, as seen in 'Princess Mononoke' and 'Spirited Away'.