idealism vs passion

His films obsessively pit intellectual ideals against raw human desire and bodily passion, particularly in works like Salò and the Gospel According to St. Matthew.

He systematically explores how romantic and moral ideals catastrophically collide with authentic human passion and suffering in films like Breaking the Waves and Dogville.

His melodramas constantly examine the destructive tension between social idealism and overwhelming emotional passion, most notably in The Marriage of Maria Braun and Ali: Fear Eats the Soul.