Before Edward Berger stunned awards season with Conclave, the German director delivered a film no less powerful: 2022’s All Quiet on the Western Front — a searing, immersive World War I epic that picked up four BAFTAs, an Oscar for Best International Feature, and critical acclaim across the globe. Available now on Netflix, it’s a masterclass in anti-war cinema.
Adapted from Erich Maria Remarque’s iconic novel and previously brought to screen in 1930 and 1979, Berger’s version stands apart. Told from the perspective of a young German soldier, Paul (played by Felix Kammerer), the film thrusts viewers directly into the mud, blood, and moral disorientation of trench warfare. As Paul and his school friends enlist with enthusiasm, they are quickly consumed by the harsh realities of battle, starvation, and loss.
Alongside Paul’s harrowing frontline experience, the film also follows Daniel Brühl as Matthias Erzberger, the German diplomat charged with negotiating the armistice as the country collapses from within.
Berger’s storytelling reaches far beyond the spectacle of war. While the battle scenes are raw and unflinching, it’s the quiet moments that linger most. Reminders of civilian life — letters from home, faded memories, a trench-pinned poster of a model — appear distant and dreamlike, emphasizing just how far the soldiers have fallen from normality.
Visually, the film is stunning. Cinematographer James Friend, who won an Oscar for his work, captures both the brutal chaos and eerie beauty of the battlefield. Rather than casting heroes or villains, the film positions war itself as the true antagonist — one that strips away idealism and leaves only grief in its place.
If Conclave showcased Berger’s precision with dialogue and tension, All Quiet on the Western Front is where he revealed his emotional depth. Watch it, and you’ll understand the artistry and devastation that shaped his path — long before cardinals gathered in Rome.
