mistaken affections

His films repeatedly explore characters loving the wrong person or pursuing impossible relationships, most memorably in 'Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown' and 'All About My Mother.'

His lush visual style captures the melancholy of unrequited and misdirected love, with characters pining for unavailable or unsuitable partners in films like '2046' and 'In the Mood for Love.'

He dissected toxic love and emotional delusion with unflinching intensity, exploring how people mistake obsession for affection in works like 'The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant' and 'Ali: Fear Eats the Soul.'