From Conclave to the Trenches: How All Quiet on the Western Front Made Me an Edward Berger Believer
What's wrong with Netflix?
Having now seen my second Edward Berger film, All Quiet on the Western Front, I’m beginning to truly admire his work. I started with Conclave and followed it up with this one, though I can’t help but fault Netflix for not giving the film a proper theatrical release. When I missed watching the film in theaters in 2022, it killed my desire to watch it because it had a limited theatrical run since Netflix funded the picture primarily for streaming, which I find surprising given the film’s scale, sound design, and stunning cinematography.
All Quiet on the Western Front is a film that screams “big screen” in every sense. But I’m glad that Netflix, at least, released the film in a 4K disc set; however, I still did not buy it right away. But this past week, I decided to finally get my hands on the 4K steelbook set. I hope that Netflix puts this masterwork back in theaters some day.
I’ve never liked war, yet it’s been woven into human history for centuries—something we seem unable to escape. What I do love are films that show its true horror and futility as a cautionary tale. All Quiet on the Western Front stands tall among the greatest of them. In my opinion, it belongs alongside masterpieces like Come and See, Paths of Glory, The Thin Red Line, Saving Private Ryan, Black Hawk Down, Fury, and Hacksaw Ridge. Each one strips away glory and leaves you with the devastating cost of conflict.
It was a pleasant surprise discovering how capable Berger is with such demanding material. All Quiet on the Western Front was only my second film from him, as mentioned, and although I liked Conclave, I wasn’t sure he had the range to tackle the complexity of a war epic—the visceral battle sequences, thunderous explosions, and raw chaos of combat. He proved me wrong in the best way.
Every single element of All Quiet on the Western Front feels meticulously crafted and pitch-perfect. From the visceral sound design and dynamic camera work to the outstanding performances, editing, immersive production design, costumes, haunting color palette, and Volker Bertelmann’s beautiful yet devastating score, Berger’s direction is flawless. I stayed glued to the edge of my couch from the first frame to the last. Even as the credits rolled, I found myself wishing it wouldn’t end, despite its powerfully satisfying yet utterly terrifying conclusion.
Edward Berger is now an instant must-watch director for me. His upcoming film The Riders, starring Brad Pitt and shooting in Europe right now, is already high on my anticipation list — especially since it’s an A24 production with strong theatrical potential instead of another Netflix original.
Until then, I’ll be rewatching All Quiet on the Western Front and trying to get my hands on the screenplay. If you want to study pure filmmaking at its finest, this one is essential viewing.
Definitely among the best war movies ever made. Ballad of a Small Player was also very good. I guess I'm just discovering this director, so Conclave will be next.
Great review! Although your constant Netflix thing, is clear, no need to repeat so much... Hope if you watch Ballad of a small player, 2025, you could share your thoughts? It was... 🤔 Bad received. Although, I got to watch it, and I liked it a lot, it seems to me that another thing was expected from him, or the bar was set for these films, I found it quite interesting in the narrative, and obviously, the visuals. Very well acted.