resource competition

His films obsessively examine human struggle against nature and scarcity, from Aguirre's doomed quest for El Dorado to Fitzcarraldo's impossible resource-demanding vision.

He explores psychological and physical deterioration driven by competition for resources, recognition, and survival in films like The Fountain, Black Swan, and The Wrestler.

His socially conscious cinema consistently depicts working-class characters competing for basic resources, employment, and dignity within systems that exploit scarcity.