soul-selling

His films relentlessly explore moral compromise and the commodification of human desire, particularly in 'The Marriage of Maria Braun' and 'Ali: Fear Eats the Soul' where characters sacrifice their souls for survival and social acceptance.

In works like 'Mulholland Drive' and 'Eraserhead,' Lynch depicts the dark bargains made in pursuit of ambition and success, where characters lose their identities and souls to corruption and illusion.

His films, especially 'Salò' and 'Canterbury Tales,' examine how desire, power, and materialism lead to the degradation and spiritual death of the soul in modern society.