outlaw protagonists

His films obsessively explore morally compromised criminals and gangsters as complex protagonists, from Travis Bickle to Henry Hill to Jordan Belfort.

He centers outlaws, thieves, and criminals as charismatic protagonists while subverting genre conventions with his signature dialogue and narrative structure.

He pioneered the French crime film tradition by depicting cool, professional criminals and hitmen with moral codes as sympathetic, tragic protagonists.