mercenary redemption

His films consistently explore characters driven by greed and violence who seek spiritual redemption, from Travis Bickle to Henry Hill to Nate in The Irishman.

His spaghetti westerns feature morally compromised antiheroes motivated by money who ultimately discover conscience, particularly in the Dollars Trilogy.

He examines how individuals complicit in violence and exploitation for personal gain confront guilt and the possibility of moral transformation in films like The Piano Teacher and Funny Games.